What’s different this year—and why you need to be even more careful
If you’ve been reading our newsletter for a while, you know we’ve talked about how disability benefits social media posts can jeopardize your claim. But here’s why we’re bringing it up again: the game has changed in 2025, and insurance companies are getting smarter about how they monitor your online activity.
Every holiday season, we see clients whose claims were challenged because of innocent disability benefits social media posts. This year, with new AI-powered surveillance tools and more sophisticated monitoring techniques, the stakes are even higher.
Consider this your friendly reminder—with some critical updates about what’s new this year.
Why the Holidays Are High-Risk Season
Insurance companies know that the holidays are when people are most likely to let their guard down on social media. You’re celebrating with family, feeling festive, and wanting to share those moments. Unfortunately, disability insurers are counting on exactly that.
Surveillance activity typically increases 40-60% during the holiday season, with investigators specifically monitoring social media accounts between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. They’re looking for anything that contradicts your doctor’s restrictions or your reported limitations.
And here’s what’s new in 2025: Many insurance companies now use artificial intelligence to automatically scan and flag social media posts. This means even posts you think are private or innocuous might be getting captured and analyzed by algorithms looking for “red flags.”
The 5 Most Dangerous Disability Benefits Social Media Posts (And Why They Matter)
1. The Family Gathering Photo
What it looks like: You’re smiling at the Thanksgiving table, surrounded by family. Maybe you’re holding a dish or helping set the table. It’s a moment of joy you want to remember.
Why it’s dangerous: Insurance companies will use this to argue you’re capable of:
- Standing for extended periods (if you’re photographed standing)
- Lifting and carrying (that casserole dish weighs several pounds)
- Social interaction and cognitive function (countering mental health disability claims)
- “Normal” daily activities
What’s new in 2025: AI facial recognition can now detect whether you appear to be in pain or discomfort in photos. If you’re smiling and look relaxed, algorithms flag it as “inconsistent with reported pain levels.” The software doesn’t understand that you might be having one good moment in an otherwise difficult day.
The bottom line: One photo of you looking happy and “normal” at Thanksgiving dinner can be used to argue you’re not as disabled as you claim—even if you spent the entire next week in bed recovering from that single meal.
2. The “Throwback” or Old Photo
What it looks like: You’re feeling nostalgic and post an old photo from a vacation or activity you enjoyed before your disability. You clearly label it “#ThrowbackThursday” or mention in the caption “Missing the days when I could do this.”
Why it’s dangerous: Insurance companies often deliberately ignore dates and context. An investigator reviewing your social media might:
- Screenshot the image without the caption
- Present it as current activity
- Claim you’re engaging in activities inconsistent with your restrictions
What’s new in 2025: Meta (Facebook/Instagram) has introduced features that automatically resurface old photos and memories—sometimes with TODAY’S date attached. Even if you originally posted it years ago, when it resurfaces, it may appear to be new content. AI monitoring tools aren’t sophisticated enough to distinguish between a new post and a resurfaced memory.
The bottom line: Even when you clearly mark something as old, insurance companies have been known to misrepresent the timeline. We’ve seen claims denied based on photos that were taken years before the person became disabled.
3. The Travel or Vacation Post That Can Hurt Your Disability Benefits
What it looks like: You took a short trip to visit family for the holidays, or you managed a carefully planned vacation with accommodations for your disability. You post a photo from the airport, a restaurant, or a scenic location.
Why it’s dangerous: Insurance companies will argue:
- If you can travel, you can work
- The physical demands of travel prove you’re more capable than reported
- You’re spending money on vacation instead of focusing on treatment
What’s new in 2025: Geolocation data is now automatically embedded in most smartphone photos, even if you don’t actively “check in” somewhere. Insurance investigators are using this metadata to:
- Track how far you traveled
- How long you were away from home
- Whether you visited multiple locations in one day
- Your movement patterns during the trip
Even if you don’t post the photos publicly, if they’re ever subpoenaed or obtained through other means, that geolocation data is there.
The bottom line: Traveling with a disability requires extensive planning and accommodation. You might need a wheelchair at the airport, take frequent breaks, and spend most of the trip resting. But one photo at a tourist spot can be used to argue you’re capable of regular work activity.
4. The Holiday Shopping or Activity Photo
What it looks like: You’re at a holiday market, a tree lighting ceremony, or out shopping (even if someone else is pushing your wheelchair). Maybe you’re at a school concert for your child or a religious service.
Why it’s dangerous: Insurers will claim these activities demonstrate:
- Ability to be in public for extended periods
- Stamina to attend events
- Physical capability to shop, walk, or navigate crowds
- Social engagement inconsistent with mental health claims
What’s new in 2025: Credit card and digital payment records are increasingly being subpoenaed in disability cases. If you post about holiday shopping, insurers may request your purchase history to:
- Prove you were shopping in-person at stores
- Show you made multiple purchases in one day
- Demonstrate “excessive” spending inconsistent with someone too disabled to work
- Track your physical locations through payment data
Additionally, payment apps like Venmo and Cash App have public feeds by default. If you pay someone back for dinner or a holiday activity and write “Thanks for the concert!” or “Great shopping day!” in the memo line, that becomes public evidence.
The bottom line: Attending a one-hour holiday event with modifications and accommodations is not the same as being able to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. But insurance companies will use any public appearance as proof you’re capable of employment.
5. The “Feeling Blessed” or Positive Update Post
What it looks like: You’re having a good day or a moment of gratitude despite your disability. You post something like “Feeling blessed today” or “So thankful for my family” or “Good day today!” Maybe you share an inspirational quote about staying positive.
Why it’s dangerous: For mental health disability claims especially, insurers will argue:
- You’re not as depressed/anxious as claimed
- Your condition is improving
- You’re capable of positive thinking and emotional regulation
- You have the cognitive function to work
What’s new in 2025: AI sentiment analysis tools now scan the tone and emotional content of your posts over time. Insurance companies are using software that:
- Tracks the “emotional trajectory” of your posts
- Flags any positive language as evidence of improvement
- Compares your social media “happiness levels” to your medical records
- Creates graphs showing you’re “doing better” based on post sentiment
This is particularly harmful because people with chronic illness and disability often try to maintain positivity and gratitude as a coping mechanism—not because they’re cured.
The bottom line: Expressing gratitude or having occasional good moments doesn’t mean you’re not disabled. But insurance companies increasingly use sophisticated AI to analyze your emotional state through social media and argue your condition isn’t as serious as you claim.
What Else Is New in 2025?
Beyond these five dangerous posts, here are other ways insurance companies are expanding their surveillance:
LinkedIn activity: Even if you don’t post, simply “liking” or commenting on professional posts can be interpreted as work activity or capability.
Private/finsta accounts: Insurers are now specifically searching for secondary “private” accounts and sending fake friend requests to gain access.
Ring doorbell footage: Some insurers are requesting footage from neighbors’ security cameras to see you coming and going from your home.
Fitness tracker subpoenas: Holiday step counts from Fitbit or Apple Watch are being used to contradict claims about mobility limitations.
How to Protect Your Disability Benefits Social Media Presence This Holiday Season
Understanding the relationship between disability benefits social media activity and claim denials can help you make better choices about what you share publicly during the holidays.
We’re not saying you can’t enjoy the holidays or connect with loved ones. We’re saying you need to be smart about what you share publicly:
- Set all social media accounts to maximum privacy settings
- Don’t accept friend/follow requests from people you don’t know personally
- Avoid posting any photos or updates during the holiday season (post after your claim is resolved if needed)
- Turn off geolocation services on your phone’s camera
- Set payment apps to private
- Assume anything you post—even in “private” groups—could be seen by your insurer
- Remember: deleting a post doesn’t erase it. Once it’s online, it can be captured via screenshot
The Bottom Line
We know this feels restrictive and unfair. You should be able to celebrate the holidays and share moments with family without worrying about your disability benefits. But the reality is that insurance companies are actively looking for reasons to deny or terminate claims, and the holidays provide them with prime opportunities.
Your disability benefits are your lifeline. Protecting them means being cautious about what you share publicly—at least until your claim is approved and stable.
This holiday season, the best gift you can give yourself is privacy.
Need Help Protecting Your Benefits?
At Tucker Disability Law, We Never Give Up on protecting your rights and your benefits. If you have questions about how social media might affect your claim, or if your benefits have been challenged based on online activity, contact us for a consultation.
Use the blue contact section NOW to call us, live chat with us, or message us using our confidential contact form.
Don’t let an innocent holiday post cost you the benefits you deserve.
