NDIS and social media: staying safe and respecting privacy

Social media can be a great way to connect, learn and be heard. It can also put your privacy at risk. This guide has simple tips for participants, carers and workers.

Check your privacy settings

Many platforms start with relaxed settings. You can change them.

eSafety suggests you:

• check your privacy settings when you sign up, and again after updates
• set your profile to private and accept requests only from people you know
• search your own name to see what others can see
• turn off location tagging on photos
• avoid "log in with social media" on other services
• only connect with people you actually know in real life

Take time to go through each setting. You can ask a friend or support person to sit with you.

What not to share

Some things are risky to post, even in a private group. Keep these to yourself:

• your NDIS number
• myGov, NDIS portal or bank logins
• plan documents or screenshots of plans
• your home address, or photos that show it
• photos of mail, letters or medication labels
• exact times you will be away from home

Be careful with photos. Look at the background. A name tag, a street sign or a whiteboard can give away more than you meant to.

Filming and consent

Many people share short videos. Consent matters.

• Only film yourself, or people who have clearly agreed.
• Check that the person understands where the video will go.
• Let people change their mind and take it down.
• Do not film personal care, toileting, dressing, a crisis or someone who is upset.
• Do not film people in group homes, day programs or workplaces unless they have agreed.
• For children, the parent or guardian must agree, and the child's own wishes matter.

Support people sometimes pressure or rush someone into saying yes. Give people time and the format they need to decide.

Goodo's Community Guidelines have similar rules. They are Goodo's own rules and they sit alongside the law.

If you are a worker or provider

The NDIS Code of Conduct says you must respect the privacy of people with disability. It applies to registered and unregistered providers, and to all workers. That includes sole traders.

On social media, this means:

• Do not post anything that could identify a participant. This includes photos, voices, names, addresses and stories where someone could recognise them.
• Do not post screenshots of messages, plans or documents.
• Do not vent about a shift in a way that points to a person.
• Do not film participants while you are working, unless they have given clear consent and your employer agrees.
• Keep your professional and personal accounts separate if you can.

When in doubt, leave it out. See NDIS Code of Conduct in plain English.

Scams and pressure online

Scammers use social media too. They pretend to be the NDIS, or friends, or providers.

Watch for:

• messages that ask for logins or bank details
• offers of gifts or "free" things for signing up
• people who want to move your chat to another app quickly
• friendships that move fast and ask for money

Never send money or bank details to someone you only know online. Read red flags: NDIS scams and inducements.

If something goes wrong

1. Take screenshots before anything is deleted.
2. Block and report the person to the platform.
3. Contact the eSafety Commissioner if the platform cannot help.
4. Tell someone you trust.
5. Call 000 if you are in danger.

If a provider or worker is involved, you can also contact the NDIS Commission. See what to do if something goes wrong with a provider.

Using Goodo safely

On Goodo, all members are verified, but you should still be careful.

• Providers cannot start a private chat with you. You write first.
• You can block, mute and report from any video, comment or message.
• Location is off by default. If you turn it on, you enter a postcode only. Others see a distance band.
• You can delete your videos and your account.

A badge shows what we checked on a given date. It is not an endorsement. See how Goodo verifies people.

Tips for carers and families

Carers often share on behalf of someone else. That can be helpful, but it can also cross a line.

• Ask the person first. Their story belongs to them.
• Think about the future. A post can stay online for years.
• Avoid posting about hard moments, meltdowns or health details.
• Use a nickname or no name if the person wants privacy.
• Check who can see your posts, and remove old posts you no longer want public.
• Talk about it together, and agree on what is okay.

For children, parents and guardians decide what to share, but the child's own wishes matter as they grow.

A quick safety check

Once a month, take five minutes to look at your accounts. Check your privacy settings, your friends or followers list, and any apps that can see your profile. Remove what you do not use. Tell a trusted person if something looks odd.

About this guide

Goodo is independent. We are not part of, or endorsed by, the NDIA or the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check ndis.gov.au or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 about your own situation.