This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more stories on Big Tech versus politics in Washington, DC, follow Tina Nguyen and read Regulator. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
Technology
5 social media safety tips to protect your privacy online
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Let’s face it: Social media can feel like a minefield. Between oversharing personal details, friend requests from strangers and sneaky scams sliding into your DMs, it’s easy to put yourself at risk without realizing it. But staying safe online doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few smart settings and habits, you can enjoy social media without giving away more than you mean to.
Settings and menus on social media platforms can change over time and may vary by device (iOS vs. Android vs. Web) or region. The steps below were accurate at the time of publishing, but you may see slightly different wording or paths depending on updates, app version or mobile device manufacturer.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CyberGuy.com newsletter
HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL INFO FROM PEOPLE-SEARCH SITES
1) Turn off Location Sharing
Many apps automatically tag your posts with your location. That can let strangers know your routines or even your home address.
Scammers have a harder time learning about your life the less you share online. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to turn off Location Sharing
On iPhone
- Go to Settings.
- Click Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services.
- Then pick the app.
- Set it to “Never” or “While Using the App.”
On Android
(Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.)
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Location.
- Click App permissions.
- Then select the app and toggle location off or select Don’t allow.
Note: Some apps may still have permission for “While using the app” or “Only this time.” So, you should check each app individually, especially camera and social-media apps, for location permissions.
Pro tip: Even turning off location for just your camera app helps keep photos from carrying hidden location data.
META TO ALLOW TEENS’ PARENTS TO DISABLE PRIVATE CHATS WITH AI AFTER BACKLASH OVER FLIRTY CHATBOTS
Parents — and even some teens — are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
2) Use a private account
A private account means only people you approve can see your posts and photos. Think of it like putting a lock on your front door.
How to set private accounts
- Go to Settings & Privacy.
- Tap Settings.
- Scroll to the Audience & Visibility (or Your Activity) section.
- Click Posts.
- Find “Who can see your future posts?” and set it to Friends.
- Tap your profile.
- Tap the menu (☰).
- Tap Account Privacy.
- Toggle on Private account.
TikTok
- Go to your Profile.
- Tap the menu (☰).
- Select Settings and privacy.
- Tap Privacy.
- Toggle on Private account.
X (formerly Twitter)
- Click on your profile icon in the top left of the screen.
- Open Settings and privacy.
- Select Privacy and safety.
- Tap Audience and tagging.
- Toggle Protect your posts (or Protect your Tweets).
- Once enabled, only approved followers can see your posts.
Snapchat
- Open Settings (gear icon).
- Scroll to Privacy Controls.
- Under “Who Can,” adjust options like Contact Me, View My Story and See Me in Quick Add to Friends only.
YouTube
- Go to your YouTube Studio (desktop or mobile app).
- When uploading, set visibility to Private or Unlisted.
- For existing videos, open the video’s settings and change visibility as needed.
Note: Entire channels cannot be made private, only individual videos.
- Tap your profile photo
- Settings.
- Go to Visibility.
- Under Profile viewing options, select Private mode.
- You can also control who sees your connections and activity under “Visibility of your LinkedIn activity.”
Identity theft has become so commonplace that it no longer shocks you to hear about the latest scam. (Cyberguy.com)
3) Report suspicious accounts
Fake profiles are everywhere. Scammers may pose as friends, celebrities or even customer service reps. Reporting them helps keep you (and others) safe.
How to report an account
- Go to the fake or impersonating profile.
- Tap the three-dot menu (Options).
- Select Find support or report profile.
- Choose a reason, such as pretending to be someone else.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to submit the report.
- Go to the profile.
- Tap the three-dot menu.
- Select Report.
- Choose a reason.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the report.
TikTok
- Open the profile.
- Tap the three-dot menu (or sometimes the Share icon).
- Select Report.
- Choose Report account.
- Select the reason.
- Submit the report.
X (formerly Twitter)
- Go to the account profile.
- Tap the three-dot or overflow icon.
- Select Report.
- Choose the type of issue.
- If you’re reporting an entire profile rather than a single post, select Report @username from the profile page.
YouTube
- Go to the channel page.
- Tap the About tab (on desktop) or the three-dot menu (on mobile).
- Select Report.
- Choose the reason.
- Submit the report.
Snapchat
- Go to the user’s profile.
- Tap the three-dot menu or gear icon.
- Select Report.
- Choose the reason.
- Submit the report.
- Visit the fake or suspicious profile.
- Tap the More button (or three dots).
- Select Report abuse.
- Select a reason and follow the prompts.
Pro tip: Don’t just block. Report alerts to the platform so they can remove the account for everyone.
With a few smart settings and habits, you can enjoy social media without giving away more than you mean to. (Thai Liang Lim/Getty Images)
4) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
Even if someone steals your password, 2FA makes it harder for them to break in. It adds an extra step, like a code texted to your phone.
How to enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Go to the menu and select Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
- Tap Accounts Center.
- Then click Password and Security.
- Tap Two-factor authentication.
- It may ask you to choose an account to set up two-factor authentication.
- Choose your preferred method, such as an authentication app, text message or security key and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Go to your profile and open Settings.
- Click Accounts Center.
- Select Password and Security.
- Then Two-Factor Authentication.
- It may ask you to choose an account to set up two-factor authentication.
- Choose your preferred method, such as an authentication app, text message or security key and follow the on-screen instructions.
TikTok
- Go to your Profile.
- Then open the Menu.
- Select Settings and privacy.
- Then, Security and permissions.
- Tap 2-step verification.
- Choose one or more verification methods, such as text message, email or an authentication app.
- Click Turn On.
- Follow the prompts to finish setup.
X (formerly Twitter)
- Click on your profile on the upper left of the screen.
- Open Settings and privacy.
- Select Security and account access, then Security.
- Tap Two-factor authentication.
- Choose your preferred method, such as text message, authentication app or security key.
- Follow the steps to turn it on.
Note: Text message (SMS) verification on X may only be available for paid (Premium) users or in certain regions. If SMS isn’t available, you can still use an authentication app or a physical security key for two-factor authentication.
Pro tip: Use an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator or Authy) instead of text messages for stronger protection.
5) Check your photos before posting
Your photos may reveal more than you think — house numbers, car license plates or even vacation details that signal you’re away from home.
Quick fixes before posting
- Crop or blur backgrounds that show personal details.
- Avoid posting in real time while traveling. Wait until you’re back.
- Review old posts to make sure you’re not unintentionally sharing private info.
SOCIAL MEDIA VERIFICATION SYSTEMS LOSE POWER AS SCAMMERS PURCHASE CHECKMARKS TO APPEAR LEGITIMATE
Bonus tip: Keep personal info under wraps
Every time you post, share or comment online, you’re leaving small clues about your life, and scammers are great at putting those pieces together. The less information fraudsters can find about you, the weaker their scams become.
Many impersonators use public details like your hometown, workplace or family connections to build fake profiles that seem trustworthy. Even information like your email address or phone number can be exploited if it’s floating around the internet.
A personal data removal service can help reduce that risk by scrubbing your personal details from people search sites and data brokers. While no solution is perfect, minimizing your digital footprint makes you a much harder target for impersonation and social-engineering scams. These services actively monitor and systematically remove your information from hundreds of sites, saving you time and giving you peace of mind.
Protecting your privacy online isn’t just about what you share on social media; it’s also about controlling what’s out there already. Limiting that data means scammers can’t easily cross-reference your information with data from breaches or the dark web.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: CyberGuy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Staying safe on social media isn’t about deleting your accounts; it’s about taking control of your information. Turning off location sharing keeps your whereabouts private. Switching to a private account gives you more say over who sees your posts. Being cautious with friend requests and DMs helps you avoid scams. And double-checking your photos before posting prevents oversharing. With just a few quick settings and habits, you can enjoy social media with peace of mind.
Have you ever spotted a scam or fake account online? Tell us what happened by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CyberGuy.com newsletter.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Today’s launch of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite aboard Blue Origin’s reusable New Glenn rocket was a partial success. The New Glenn touched down on its landing pad without incident, making it the second launch and landing for the first stage booster, and officially giving Jeff Bezos a reusable launch vehicle. Unfortunately for AST SpaceMobile, the mission was less successful. Its cell-tower-in-space was delivered to a lower orbit than expected by the second stage of the launch vehicle, rendering it functionally useless.
While the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, the altitude is too low to sustain operations with its on-board thruster technology and will de-orbited.
Bezos, for his part, posted a video of the landing on X without comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Most people treat their phone flashlight like a basic on and off switch. You tap it when you drop something under the couch or walk through a dark parking lot. That’s it.
But with the latest software updates, both iPhone and Samsung phones have quietly turned the flashlight into something much more useful. You can control how bright it is. On some devices, you can even change how wide the beam spreads.
Once you know where to look, it feels like you just upgraded your phone without spending a dollar.
10 IOS 26 TRICKS THAT HELP YOU GET MORE OUT OF YOUR IPHONE
Both iPhone and Samsung phones have quietly turned the flashlight into something much more useful. (Silas Stein/picture alliance)
iPhone flashlight features you’re probably missing
Your iPhone flashlight does more than turn on and off, and a few hidden controls can completely change how you use it.
How to adjust iPhone flashlight brightness
On almost all iPhones:
- Swipe down from the top right to open Control Center
- Press and hold the flashlight icon
- Drag the vertical slider up to increase brightness or down to lower it
This has been around for years, but many people still tap instead of holding. That’s where the real control lives.
How to change iPhone flashlight beam width (Pro models)
This is the feature most people have never seen. On newer Pro iPhones running the latest software:
- Swipe down to open Control Center
- Press and hold the flashlight icon
- When the flashlight control appears at the top of the screen, swipe left or right to adjust the beam width
You can go from a narrow, focused beam to a wide flood of light.
That means:
- Narrow beam = better for seeing farther ahead
- Wide beam = better for lighting up a full area
This feature was introduced in iOS 18 and is still available in iOS 26.4, but it only works on iPhone 14 Pro and newer Pro models, including iPhone 15 Pro and later versions. You won’t see it on standard models.
How to turn on iPhone flashlight from the Lock Screen
You don’t even need to unlock your phone:
- Press and hold the flashlight icon on the Lock Screen
It turns on instantly, which is faster than digging through menus.
How to use Siri to control your iPhone flashlight
You can say:
- “Hey Siri, turn on the flashlight.”
- “Set flashlight to 50 percent.”
- “Hey Siri, turn off the flashlight.”
It’s one of the fastest hands-free options when your hands are full.
The flashlight is one of the most used features on your phone, yet most people never go beyond the basics. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Bonus: Use iPhone flashlight for alerts and notifications
Your iPhone can use the flashlight as a visual alert:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Audio/Visual
- Scroll down and turn on Flash for Alerts
Your flashlight will blink for calls and notifications, which helps if your phone is on silent or in a noisy place.
Samsung flashlight features you should know
Samsung takes a different approach and, in some ways, gives you more flexibility right out of the box.
Note: Settings may vary depending on your Samsung device model and One UI version.
How to adjust Samsung flashlight brightness
On most Samsung Galaxy phones:
- Swipe down to open Quick Settings
- Press and hold the flashlight icon
- Use the brightness slider (labeled “Brightness”) to adjust the light level
Many people miss this because a quick tap only turns the flashlight on or off. The brightness controls appear after you press and hold, giving you more control depending on your situation.
How to turn on the Samsung flashlight with your voice
If you use Google Assistant:
- “Hey Google, turn on the flashlight.”
- “Hey Google, turn off the flashlight.”
It works well when your hands are full or when you need quick access.
10 INCREDIBLY USEFUL IPHONE AND ANDROID TRICKS THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
How to customize Samsung flashlight access
Samsung gives you a few ways to keep the flashlight within easy reach. To keep it in your main Quick Settings panel:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings
- If you do not see the flashlight icon in the main panel, tap the pencil icon to edit
- Tap Edit
- Find Flashlight in the available buttons
- Hold and drag the flashlight icon into the main Quick Settings area
- Tap Done or Save if prompted
Bonus: Use the Samsung flashlight for alerts and notifications
Samsung phones can also use the flashlight for visual alerts:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Advanced settings
- Tap Flash notifications
- Turn on Camera flash notification
You can also turn on Screen flash notification if you want your display to light up instead.
When iPhone and Samsung flashlight features actually matter
This is where it becomes practical:
- Walking at night: a narrow beam helps you see farther ahead
- Power outage: a wide beam lights up more of the room
- Looking for something nearby: lower brightness avoids harsh glare
- Emergency situations: faster access can save time
Once you start adjusting the light instead of just turning it on, it becomes far more useful.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com
Apple improved control with hardware and software, while Samsung focused on flexibility and customization. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Kurt’s key takeaways
The flashlight is one of the most used features on your phone, yet most people never go beyond the basics. Apple improved control with hardware and software, while Samsung focused on flexibility and customization. Both approaches make a simple tool far more capable.
Have you ever discovered a hidden feature on your phone that made you wonder what else you’ve been missing? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
A long time ago, in 2004, the Federal Communications Commission laid down a rule designed to prevent a monopoly: No one company could broadcast to more than 39 percent of all the TV households in the United States. But then Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025. Brendan Carr became FCC chairman and immediately kicked off a deregulatory initiative called “Delete, Delete, Delete,” in which Carr vowed to get rid of “every rule, regulation, or guidance document” that placed “unnecessary regulatory burdens” on companies. And within months, Nexstar, which already owned over 200 stations nationwide and had hit its ownership cap, announced that it had entered an agreement to purchase its rival, Tegna, for an estimated $6.2 billion — something that could only happen, however, if Carr agreed to change the FCC’s rules.
If you ask Nexstar why it’s pursuing a merger that would give it control of over 80 percent of the market, it’d point to Big Tech as the culprit. As advertisers take their money to Netflix, YouTube, and other digital streamers, linear television — the local television news, the broadcast affiliates, the basic cable networks — has suffered, forcing them to consolidate and shut down newsrooms. In that sense, Nexstar argued, the merger would help it compete for ad revenue with the streaming services, thereby building more robust local journalism. However, the merger’s opponents believe that this is a basic violation of antitrust laws and principles — not to mention the danger of letting one company have editorial control over the vast majority of America’s local television newsrooms.
But the second Trump administration handles regulatory hurdles a little differently than others, and companies have found that it’s faster to get what they want if they bypass the agencies and talk (read: suck up) to Trump directly. And when Nexstar did so publicly, it confirmed its opponents’ fears about political influence. Last September, in the fraught weeks after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, Nexstar announced it would no longer broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! — a response to Carr’s claim that the FCC could revoke the broadcast licenses of TV stations that aired the comedian’s comments related to Kirk. It briefly led to ABC suspending Kimmel’s show, though ABC and Nexstar soon reversed their decision after a massive nationwide backlash and an ABC boycott.
However, Nexstar’s loyalty to Trump himself was not enough to win over his most powerful MAGA supporters. Newsmax, a cable news network with a deeply pro-Trump bent, and its CEO, longtime Trump donor and outside adviser Chris Ruddy, filed a lawsuit objecting to the merger, claiming that Nexstar’s anticompetitive behavior would force channels like his off the air with steeper carriage fees. He specifically accused Nexstar of jacking up the fees for stations to carry Newsmax, while offering its similar network, NewsNation, for much cheaper.
The Nexstar-Tegna MAGA makeover then took a more subtle turn. NewsNation hired the pro-Trump Fox News commentator Katie Pavlich and gave her her own primetime show. (The network had already hired a slew of former Fox journalists as well.) Around this time, a political group called Keep News Local began airing ads in DC that seemed to directly address Trump, praising him for having “defeated the fake news monopolies before through independent voices and local news” and claiming that the Nexstar-Tegna merger was “crucial for MAGA to survive.” (A little self-contradictory and mildly illogical, but it’s the kind of stuff that Trump likes to hear.) When I last spoke to Ruddy in February, I asked if he’d worried that the dark money going into Keep News Local would sway Trump, and he chose his words carefully: “I think at the end of the day, Trump makes up his own mind. I’m not sure he’s going to be influenced by an ad campaign.”
For months, no one could accurately predict if Trump would override Carr’s wishes and bless the deal, as he’s often done for other companies facing regulatory scrutiny. Trump’s Truth Social posts about the merger have been a good indicator of how precarious the merger has been and who’s been able to influence him at any given moment: Last November, he blasted the deal as an “EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS,” but by February, he posted that the deal would “help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition.”
Several current and former NewsNation employees told Status at the time that they feared that the parent company was steering NewsNation away from the centrist, “unbiased” reputation they’d long cultivated. “A lot of people within the network believe that the network has gone hard right to appeal to Trump and Brendan Carr,” one former employee told Status. Coincidentally, days before the deal was finalized, NewsNation began ramping up its explicitly pro-Trump content, tweeting a clip of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins being berated by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, along with the comment “Just going to leave this here.”
When Trump greenlit the merger in mid-March, but before the FCC’s three commissioners could vote on whether to waive the ownership cap, Nexstar and Tegna immediately announced a new complication: Tegna and Nexstar had already started merging. Tegna was no more and CEO Mike Steib had already sold $22.6 million of his company stock.
In response, eight state attorneys general and satellite TV operator DirectTV, which had already been planning to file separate federal antitrust suits against the merger, asked US District Judge Troy Nunley in Sacramento for an emergency restraining order that would prevent Nexstar from taking over Tegna’s assets. The order was granted on March 27th and on April 17, Nunley issued a formal injunction, ruling that Tegna must be operated as an independent financial entity, and Nexstar must take steps to ensure it remains separate from Tegna before further legal proceedings.
For now, Nunley has allowed the states and DirecTV to combine their cases, in which both argue that the merger was a clear violation of antitrust laws and would crush news competition.
Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats in Congress are furious at Carr. On March 30th, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent the chairman a joint letter admonishing him for allowing his staff to waive the regulations to let the merger pass, instead of having the full commission of political appointees — one from the Biden administration — vote on it. “Under these circumstances,” they wrote, “any subsequent vote risks being largely procedural rather than a genuine exercise of commission responsibility.” They also pointed out that their hasty approval without the commission’s approval would now complicate the merger financially: “In a transaction of this scale, where integration proceeds quickly and unwinding becomes impractical, delay in judicial review can insulate the decision from meaningful challenge.” Notably, though they share similar ideological views on the media and deregulation, Cruz and Carr have frequently clashed over how to achieve their objectives. Cruz previously slammed Carr as a “mafioso,” for instance, for the way he’d used the FCC to silence Kimmel.
But even if it’s legally paused, the journalistic merger’s fallout has started to hit local news. NPR’s David Folkenfirk reported on Tuesday that Tegna journalists had already started receiving orders to stop broadcasting content from major broadcasters like ABC, CBS, and NBC — media outlets being targeted by Carr — and instead begin airing content from Nexstar’s NewsNation.
- Brendan Carr’s views on using the FCC to punish major broadcasters was outlined pretty extensively in the chapter he authored in Project 2025, an initiative led by the conservative Heritage Foundation on how to reform the federal bureaucracy to be more favorable to the American right.
- Exactly how much is local television losing to digital? According to industry publication NewscastStudio, in an investor call defending the purchase, Nexstar chairman Perry Sook cited a market research study from Borrell Associates, which found that “digital advertising in local markets exceeds $100 billion, compared to just $25 billion for local linear television advertising, with nearly two-thirds of digital ad dollars flowing to five major technology companies.”
- If you want to see exactly how much Keep Local News was trying to suck up to Trump, the ads are archived here.
- The Vergecast has a long-running segment called “Brendan Carr is a dummy.”
- The LA Times reported on last week’s preliminary hearings in front of Nunley, and how lawyers for Nexstar, the states, and DirecTV plan to argue their case.
- The Desk has insights from Kirk Varner, a former TV newsroom director, on how the case could go.
- Andrew Liptak covered Nexstar’s previous acquisition sprees for The Verge in 2018.
- Adi Robertson walks through exactly how the Kimmel suspension was an attack on free speech.
- Brendan Carr keeps trying to convince people that he’s not threatening to suspend broadcast licenses for reporting on unfavorable things like the Iran war, reports Lauren Feiner.
- The Vergecast has a long-running segment called “Brendan Carr is a dummy.”
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
-
Maryland5 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for April 19, 2026
-
Michigan11 minutes agoMichigan Democrats seek to mend old divides at contentious convention
-
Minnesota23 minutes agoUCLA baseball remains perfect in Big Ten by beating Minnesota
-
Mississippi29 minutes agoMississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for April 19, 2026
-
Missouri35 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for April 19, 2026
-
Montana41 minutes ago
Montana Lottery Big Sky Bonus results for April 19, 2026
-
Nebraska47 minutes ago
Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on April 19, 2026
-
Nevada53 minutes agoArmed Robbery at the Tamarack Casino