If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or TikTok lately, you’ve likely seen the wave of nostalgia hitting your feed. The “2016 trend” has users digging through their archives to post photos from eight years ago, contrasting them with how they look today. It’s a fun, sentimental trip down memory lane—replete with heavy filters, choker necklaces, and memories of a pre-pandemic world.
But while you’re enjoying the trip back to the era of Lemonade and Pokémon GO, cybersecurity experts are raising a red flag. According to recent reports, including insights shared by CTV News, this viral trend might be handing identity thieves more information than you realize.
Here is why you might want to think twice before hitting “post” on that throwback.
The Problem: You’re Handing Over the Keys to Your Identity
On the surface, it’s just a photo. But to a hacker or a sophisticated AI, it’s data. Experts warn that participating in these “time-jump” trends provides two major risks:
1. Security Question Answers
Think about the security questions you use to recover your bank account or email password. They often include things like:
● What high school did you attend?
● What was the name of your first pet?
● What city did you live in in [Year]?
By posting a series of photos specifically labeled “2016,” you are providing a public timeline of your life. If your 2016 photo shows you in a specific graduation gown, at a recognizable workplace, or in a specific city, you are narrowing down the variables a hacker needs to bypass your security questions.
2. Facial Recognition and AI Training
Viral trends are a goldmine for developers looking to train facial recognition algorithms. By providing a “then and now” comparison (2016 vs. 2024), users are voluntarily providing high-quality data on how human faces age over nearly a decade. While your friends are looking at your old haircut, tech companies or bad actors could be using those images to improve aging software or biometric bypass tools.
Why Is “2016” the Magic Number?
Cybersecurity experts note that 2016 is a particularly “sweet spot” for data mining. It’s far enough back that many people have moved, changed jobs, or graduated, but recent enough that the digital metadata attached to those photos is often still intact.
When you upload an old photo, you might accidentally be sharing “EXIF data”—hidden metadata that can include the exact GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken and the date it was captured.
How to Participate Safely
You don’t have to be a digital hermit to stay safe, but you should practice “social media hygiene.” If you really want to join the 2016 trend, follow these tips:
● Check the Background: Ensure your photo doesn’t show your house number, license plate, or workplace ID badge.
● Strip Metadata: Before uploading, take a screenshot of the old photo and post the screenshot instead. This usually strips the original GPS and timestamp data from the file.
● Check Your Privacy Settings: Ensure your post is only visible to “Friends” rather than the “Public.”
● Lie on Your Security Questions: Experts recommend that the answers to your security questions shouldn’t be true. If the question is “What street did you live on in 2016?”, your answer should be something random like “PurplePineapple.”
The Bottom Line
The 2016 trend is a testament to how much we love to share our lives online. However, as technology evolves, so do the methods used by scammers. Before you jump on the next viral bandwagon, take a second to ask yourself: What am I really sharing?
Nostalgia is great, but keeping your personal data secure is even better.
