Social Media and Your Disability Claim: What You Need to Know

Yes, your insurance company is watching your social media

If you have an active disability claim, assume your insurer is monitoring your social media accounts. Insurance companies routinely check Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other platforms — either directly or through private investigators they hire.

What they're looking for

Photos of you at events, restaurants, or gatherings. Check-ins at locations. Posts about activities or travel. Smiling profile pictures. Comments that suggest you're more active than reported. Even posts from friends and family that tag you. A single photo of you smiling at a family dinner can be used to argue that your depression isn't as severe as your doctors report.

Why this is unfair — but still reality

A handful of errands on a good day doesn't prove the bad days don't exist. Smiling in a photo doesn't mean you're not in pain. Having one good hour doesn't erase 23 bad ones. Courts generally understand context — but the safest approach is to minimize what the insurer can find.

What to do right now

1. Set all accounts to maximum privacy settings.

2. Stop posting — or post as little as possible.

3. Ask friends and family not to tag you in photos or posts.

4. Don't accept friend requests from people you don't know.

5. Don't delete old posts — this can be seen as destroying evidence.

6. Assume everything you post, or that's posted about you, will be seen by the insurer.

What NOT to do

Don't deactivate or delete your accounts — this can look suspicious and may constitute spoliation of evidence. Don't lie about your activities — inconsistency between what you tell the insurer and what appears online is far more damaging. The best approach is simply to go quiet.