Hey everyone! I'm new to Reddit and I have a bit of a concern regarding links in comments. I recently made a post in a tech subreddit and one user replied with 'I have been using this and it works fine,' with the word 'this' being clickable. When I clicked on it, it opened a link in the Reddit browser, which led me to a Twitter page with a product photo and name. Now, I'm worried! I've clicked on it twice and I'm anxious about whether my phone could get infected with malware or a virus.
To be honest, I'm just curious if Reddit allows users to embed these kinds of links in comments or posts, and whether this poses a risk. Also, I noticed that this user often comments similarly across various communities, which makes me even more suspicious. Can they hack into my phone through a link hidden in a word? I'd love any insights to help ease my mind!
3 Answers
If you only clicked a link to Twitter, you’re probably just fine. Despite all the drama with Twitter, it’s unlikely that visiting it would directly infect your phone. Still, it’s a good idea to report suspicious users. They could be spamming or phishing.
It’s totally normal for Reddit to have links embedded in comments or posts. The blue text indicates a clickable link. For example, even in the bot's response, links were shown in blue. Just remember to stick to reputable sites, and don't click on anything that looks really sketchy!
True, but can those links contain anything dangerous?
Reddit is similar to other social media platforms where users can post links freely. Most links you come across aren't going to infect your device just by clicking on them. Typically, you'd need to download something malicious for it to be a real threat. However, always be careful and trust your gut when a link seems suspicious! Just report any questionable users you see.
Yeah, you should mainly worry about ‘no click, no download’ malware. Just clicking a link usually won't cause issues.
Can spammers really interact by reading posts and commenting? I thought bots couldn't do that!