I’ve noticed that some people keep their Twitter updated private so that only people following them can see them. How do I do that?

I got this question from someone who is relatively new to the the whole Twitter scene and was a bit uncomfortable with her tweets automatically being posted and recorded in the public domain. She wanted to know how to protect her Tweets so that only her friends and colleagues would get them.

Luckily, this requirement was recognised by Twitter quite early on and this functionality is actually built into the Twitter website. You can turn this feature on by navigating to your Account page under Settings. Right at the bottom of the list you’ll see an option that looks like this:

Just click on the tick box and from then on only people YOU approve will be able to view your updates. Your updates will also be withheld from appearing in the public timeline.

It’s always important to keep in mind just how far your private data may be spreading, so knowing about this option is a good thing. You can’t really invest in door hardware on the Internet, but using common sense about what information you share and divulge can go a long way toward protecting your identity and personal safety.