Wanting to share photographs from your holiday on social media is perfectly reasonable. However, posting those updates could leave you vulnerable to risks, such as burglary or, in the future, could invalidate your contents insurance policy.
Experts warn that soon ‘Insta-bragging’, which involves posting photographs while on holiday, could invalidate your insurance by violating your policy’s ‘reasonable care’ clause. This clause usually applies to your responsibility to lock windows and doors, thus ensuring you’re taking reasonable care to deter burglars. However, in the future, this could apply to social media posts you make while on holiday.
Even though you may not think that posting a simple snapshot is risky, it could alert burglars that your home is empty and vulnerable. In fact, according to alarm and security systems provider, ADT, 78 per cent of burglars use Facebook and Twitter to target potential vulnerable properties.
However, that does not mean that you should be afraid to share your adventures online. You just have to be smart about how you share. To help you do that, here are several tips on how to stay safe on social media:
- Never mention or include your address on any social media platform.
- Keep your social media pages private wherever possible.
- Never announce when and how long you’ll be gone on holiday.
- Avoid checking-in at airports or holiday destinations on social media platforms.
Remember, you never know who may be looking at the photographs and updates you post about your holiday. Therefore, be smart, have fun and post wisely.