Is Tinyurl Safe?
At some point in your time browsing the internet, you have probably come across a link to a site called "TinyURL" with a series of symbols following the domain name. This site is actually just a redirect service open to the public. Users can take web addresses, called URLs, that are long or unwieldy, and create a shortcut using TinyURL. The downside to TinyURL links is that the person receiving the link might not know where the link is sending them.
Other People Are Reading
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Dangerous Sites
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Some malicious computer users take advantage of TinyURL to distribute links to dangerous sites loaded with viruses and other programs that might damage your computer. If you receive an unsolicited TinyURL link from someone you do not know, you should avoid clicking on it. It is also recommended to ignore TinyURL links that seem too good to be true. For example, "Click here to win a free iPad!" is a long-running scam that sends you to websites designed to steal your identity.
Inappropriate Sites
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Often, computer users offering links to adult sites or other URLs they wish to hide use TinyURL to obscure the true nature of the link. These users might innocently send you a link, thinking you would appreciate it. Unfortunately, opening such a link at work or some other place where adult material is deemed inappropriate could cause serious consequences. For safety, avoid TinyURL links while browsing at work, unless the sender tells you exactly where the abbreviated URL link to and the sender is a person you trust.
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Pranks
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The infamous "Rick Roll" prank started by taking advantage of YouTube's tendency to obfuscate video URLs much in the same way that TinyURL does. Users would send YouTube links professing to be some amazing or funny video, but instead they would link to a video of Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up." Now that most web-savvy users have caught on to being "Rick Rolled," enterprising pranksters can further hide their intentions using TinyURL addresses. Fortunately, such pranks are usually harmless, but you might want to lower your volume before clicking a TinyURL link just in case.
Prevention
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Fortunately, there is a way to prevent accessing an unwanted URL when presented with a TinyURL link. Go to tinyurl.com and click the link on the front page labeled "Click here to enable previews." This simple fix tells TinyURL to not automatically redirect you to a TinyURL destination page. Instead, you are sent to a simple preview page that tells you the exact URL you have been sent to by the abbreviated TinyURL. From here, you can choose to either click the real link or simply close the window if the content appears to be inappropriate or dangerous.
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References
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- Photo Credit Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
