Students urged to limit personal info sharing for digital security

A global leader in TrustTech, Gogolook recently advised college students to limit sharing their personal information on social media to secure their digital identity.

In a seminar held at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) last week, dubbed Self-defense Awareness and Familiarization Exercises (S.A.F.E.), attended by Senior High School (SHS) UST students, Gogolook Philippines Country Head Mel Migriño said, “We must be mindful of our online behavior and take proactive steps to safeguard our digital identities.”

"Be cautious with links from unknown contacts, verify identities carefully, and double-check who’s reaching out to you — especially when it involves financial matters," Migriño emphasized.

She also shared practical security tips for students, particularly for staying safe on social media.

"Limit how much personal information you share, avoid posting sensitive details, and think twice before making anything public. Adjust your privacy settings, control who can follow you, and don’t hesitate to block or report suspicious accounts. If you encounter inappropriate behavior, report it through the Whoscall app or the CICC hotline at 1326," she suggested.

During the program, students had the opportunity to ask Migriño about online security.

She highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being misused by scammers.

"AI is a powerful tool that helps us in many ways, but online scammers are using it to profile potential victims," she said.

Furthermore, Gogolook's country head highlighted key features of Whoscall, the global anti-scam application developed by Gogolook, including Message and Caller ID, Web Checker, and Number Blocker.

“Be notified when any incoming unknown numbers are flagged and reported as spam or scam from our extensive database of 2.6 billion reported numbers,” she explained, discussing Whoscall’s Message and Caller ID feature.

“Scan unknown URLs sent to you and instantly assess their risk level using the built-in URL scanner in the Whoscall app. For Android users, the scanner can even integrate with your messages, eliminating the need to copy and paste links,” she added, referring to Whoscall’s Web Checker feature.

Regarding the Number Blocker feature, she said, “Easily block incoming calls and messages flagged as spam or scams, ensuring you no longer have to worry about unwanted disruptions.”