Unofficial PSA: Staying Safe on SpaceHey & The Internet; My Personal Thoughts

I take no responsibility for any harm brought to users on this site. You are reading this post and participating in the use of this site/the internet at your own risk. I am not a representative of SpaceHey, Tibush Labs, or any of their affiliates. This is for informational purposes only. Feel free to add other pointers in the comments.

Hello all! I'm sure plenty of people here are from TikTok and other social media, where safety is not as much of a personal concern since there are corporate employees going through reports every single day. This site (SpaceHey) appears to be controlled by a smaller entity (correct me if I'm wrong). It is also an up-and-coming service where people can still easily fall victim to gr00ming and other malicious activity. I want this to be a little, but not all-inclusive, guide to using niche social media safely.

1. Online Aliases and What You Shouldn't Share Online.

On small social media such as this, it is usually a good idea to not use your full name in any public postings. That means your username, your display name, or in any public blog posts. If you link other social accounts of yours, be sure that they also contain no personal information. Personal information is details like your full name, address, age, phone number, where you go to school or work, government IDs (like Social Security numbers), banking info, public IP address(es), and plenty of other important data that, if leaked, can result in very bad consequences. If your goal of using SpaceHey is to disconnect from larger social media and have a space disconnected from your real self (not applicable to those who use this site in malicious ways like gr00ming or confessing/discussing harmful acts), then you should avoid putting any personal details here. If you are more lax, then you can probably use a nickname that is closer to your real name and maybe a photo of yourself if you feel comfortable. You might feel comfortable adding your age (I would say don't if you're under 13. You shouldn't even be on this site, go back to Mr. Beast & Gacha Club.), but keep in mind that certain people may see this and attempt to prey on you, which brings me to my next point:

2. How to Avoid the Bad People & Things.

The Bad People™ are those that use the internet to prey on minors, share malicious files, get others to participate in heinous acts, among many other examples. Bottom line: they're bad. And you need to avoid them. If someone contacts you in your direct messages, do some research! If you know who they are and are familiar with them, as well as know they are a good person to interact with, then go ahead and talk to them. If you find posts or people saying that you should be wary of the account that messaged you; block and report them! If someone asks you for a picture of yourself, be careful. When did they ask for that? Was it as soon as you started talking to them or have you known them for a while? Assess and see if it is safe to send. If someone asks you a strange question with s3xual connotations, block and report. If you feel a little wary about talking to someone, you are never required to talk to them. You have every right to ignore messages and block people.

In terms of malicious files and links, be careful! When someone sends you a link, read it first. Is it a common website that you know and have used before? Even if it is, double check to see if the URL is a little strange. Is part of it misspelled? For example, there is a big difference between amazon.com and amazom.com! (if those show up as hyperlinks, don't click them /srs). Links and websites that appear legitimate at first but aren't are called phishing sites. These attempt to steal your personal data by making you enter it into an illegitimate site. Some sites will also download something to your device without your permission. This is more avoidable now, but do watch out for it and immediately delete those files without opening them and run a virus scan on your device (I recommend Malwarebytes). Some sites may contain shock material. This is meant to get a reaction out of the viewer. This includes gor3 sites. If you don't know a link, don't click on it. If someone sends you an unsolicited weird, gor3y, or s3xual photo, block and report.

There are many ways to avoid malicious activity on the internet but I would be stuck here forever if I went through all of it. Look for cybersafety courses like what is available from NetSafe Utah. Lots of info is available from many different places on YouTube as well.

3. The Bottom Line

Staying safe on the internet, as cheesy as it may sound, is a personal responsibility and is very important. It can be a very fun place, but also the most dangerous one on the planet. Unfortunately, some bad people on niche sites like this see it as a perfect way to get the horrible things they want out of unsuspecting users. Please stay safe out there and remember that this is not an all-inclusive guide and is only info, nothing more! I will not personally protect you and you surf the web at your own risk!

Safe surfing!

-Ryan