Unless you’ve been totally cut off from the world for the past few years, or have only recently discovered the Internet, you’re well aware that using social networks to share personal photos is far from ideal. Many specialized observers, institutions and the media point to the many risks incurred by network users when posting photos. For many expatriates far from their home country, however, it’s the ideal solution…
Share photos on Facebook
When you’ve just moved abroad, one of the first things you do is share news with your family and friends. Even more so when you’ve moved abroad as a family with your children, the urge to show photos of your new home and surroundings is very strong, and quite legitimate.
For many of these expatriates, the solution is obvious: Facebook! Although the Gendarmerie advises parents not to publish even the smallest photo of their child on the social network (see article), and despite the many dangers associated with the protection and respect of privacy on Facebook that have now been demonstrated, these social parents, who don’t hesitate to share whole sections of their private lives, believe they are safe because they use a “private” account, only accessible to their friends…
If you didn’t already know, sharing photos on Facebook with a private account won’t prevent your account from being hacked.
What’s more, some people seem to be able to access your private photo albums without even being one of your contacts. Whether it’s a case of account hacking (the hacker changes the account address and password) or unauthorized access to your photo albums, the result is the same: photo theft leads to use of the stolen photos, automated identity theft (the hacker creates hundreds of accounts with your photos) and other gimmicks such as harassment of contacts, blackmail or ransom demands with the person whose account has been stolen.
Definitely, when it comes to sharing personal photos, it’s best to avoid using Facebook or any other social network for that matter.
How to keep in touch with loved ones from a distance
It’s a question that comes up more and more among expatriate and distant families: how to share photos remotely and securely? If this is your case, and you’re one of those expatriate families looking for a private platform to keep in touch with your loved ones and distant family, you should know that there are online services that make it possible, intelligently and without risking your privacy.
One example is the Blogexpatriation.com website, which enables expat families to share photos online, in a much more secure way than social networks. The principle is simple: you create your own photo and video space (a sort of personalized logbook that family and friends can comment on) and invite your friends and family to connect to your expat blog. Without a personal invitation and password, it’s impossible to know that your space exists. The service’s designers (a young family, also expatriates) have thought of everything when creating the service, but above all to offer a trustworthy service, with no advertising or use of user data, as is the case with Facebook.
As an expatriate, when our son was born, sharing his birth photos on Facebook was out of the question. So I created a private site, for our distant families, to share photo albums and videos with them”. Success was immediate, and the idea of developing a secure service for other families like his prompted him to create a 100% private sharing platform, without the drawbacks that can be found on social networks.
Example of a personalized space for an expatriate family
Compared to Facebook or other similar sites, it’s obviously very easy to use, with no settings to adjust, since access is purely private. Withfree registration, you can create a fun and intuitive sharing space, where you can share a huge number of photos or videos with guests.
One of the service’s many strengths is that guests don’t need to create an account or register, making it easy to use, especially for grandparents. Simply enter your password and browse the photo albums or videos in the private area. It’s all so easy, and whether you’re a senior or a child, the service is simple to use.
From now on, you’ll have to reckon with this new secure family service, which is very practical for many expatriate families, enabling them to keep in touch with their loved ones. To create your private family space and try out this innovative service, simply click here.
