Check and change your privacy settings on Facebook today
\nIt seems there isn\u2019t a day that goes by without Facebook and privacy being in the news. Most recently, there\u2019s the small matter of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, which is causing users to leave Facebook in droves. But there is an alternative. Our guide to Facebook\u2019s privacy settings explains all you need to know to keep using the popular social network safely.<\/p>\n
The recent allegations that Facebook data was manipulated by UK-based Cambridge Analytica to influence a range of world events from Donald Trump\u2019s election to the Brexit vote has shaken the technology world to its core.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s a privacy-conscious social media user to do if they don\u2019t want to delete Facebook entirely, but do want to secure their account from outside meddling?<\/p>\n
Facebook Privacy Settings: The basics explained<\/b>
\nThe entire Facebook\/Cambridge Analytica affair highlights just how important it is to keep track of the apps you use \u2212 or have used in the past \u2212 that are connected to your Facebook account through Facebook Login. This is because the data was gathered through an app called \u2018thisisyourdigitallife\u2019, which allowed people to log in to it using their Facebook account.<\/p>\n
You can find a list of apps that have access to your Facebook data, such as your name, pictures, birthday and friends list, on the App Settings page. There\u2019s a good chance the list will be significantly longer than expected.<\/p>\n
Clicking each entry in the list shows you the types of data you\u2019ve given them permission to access. By unchecking each box, you can limit how many of your personal details they can get their hands on. You can also unlink the apps from your Facebook account on this page, by clicking the \u2018X\u2019 that appears next to them.\u00a0However, as Facebook\u2019s FAQ notes, \u201cThe app or game may have stored info from when you were using it, but you can contact the developer to ask that they delete any info they may still have.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can also switch off Facebook\u2019s integration with apps completely, meaning you won\u2019t be able to log into apps, games and other websites using your Facebook account. To do this, go to Settings, Apps and Websites and Plugins, then select Edit and Disable Platform.<\/p>\n
Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee, says that using your Facebook account to login to another app \u201cbridges your digital islands, allowing the two companies to collect more data and build an in depth profile about you and your activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recommends going even further to protect your data. \u201cSet up a new login and password for the apps you\u2019re using. It may take a minute longer but it will help you to avoid data being shared between different services,\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that you understand the crux of the issue, here are 18 simple ways you can ensure your Facebook privacy settings are exactly what you want them to be.<\/p>\n
1) I want to\u2026get an overview of my privacy settings<\/b>
\nFacebook\u2019s privacy settings are spread over a number of portions of the site. However, you can do a quick health check by tapping the padlock to the right of the Home screen and selecting Run Privacy Check Up. This will allow you see privacy settings at a glance over three key areas of Facebook<\/p>\n
1) Posts \u2013 As explained below, this will explain how to control your privacy settings for every post.
\n2) Apps \u2013 Who sees your activity within third-party apps
\n3) Profile \u2013 Here you can limit what personal information (work, age, contact details) is visible to who.<\/p>\n
These are explained in more detail in the next three sections.<\/p>\n
2) I want to\u2026 control who sees my posts<\/b>
\nThis is perhaps the key privacy concern of Facebook users who\u2019re concerned. No-one wants their boss spying on their weekend activities, so it\u2019s important to be clear about when you post. Whenever you upload a photo, fill in a status, or check in at a location there\u2019s the opportunity to customise who you wish to share with. You can also adjust this by clicking the padlock and selecting \u201cWho can see my stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n
The three main options are:<\/p>\n
Friends \u2013 Only people you\u2019re friends with can see the post. If you\u2019re posting photos of your children or any information you\u2019d deem personal then this is what you need to select.
\nPublic \u2013 Anyone can see it whether they\u2019re friends or not. If you want to be part of a public discussion to be seen by friends and within search; like on Twitter, then select this.
\nOnly You \u2013 Perhaps if you use Facebook as a repository for personal memories or a blog you can select Only You to ensure you, the account holder are the only one who sees it.<\/p>\n
Here you can also select Custom to add Friends of Friends to the list of people who can see the post while there\u2019s also the opportunity to post only for the eyes of various Groups you may be part of.<\/p>\n
It is important to note that Facebook remembers the setting from your last post, so if your last post was a Public rant about X-Factor, remember that\u2019ll be the default setting next time.<\/p>\n
3) I want to\u2026 control who sees my app activity<\/b>
\nYou\u2019re likely to have many third-party services associated with Facebook, whether they\u2019re news services, fitness apps, games, other social networks, streaming services or photo-sharing apps. Many become associated with your Facebook account by being installed on your smartphone, others by using Facebook Connect to create accounts. You can use the Privacy Check Up or go to Settings > Apps and adjust who can see your activity or whether you want to remove them completely by clicking the cross.<\/p>\n
4) I want to\u2026 hide my personal information<\/b>
\nOver the years, Facebook has probably collected a tonne of personal information. Your email address, your birthday, political views, phone number, where you\u2019ve studied, your sexual orientation, your political views, where you\u2019re from, where you\u2019re worked, who you\u2019re married to and who you\u2019re related to.<\/p>\n
With most employers now doing social media checks on potential employees, you may want to shield some of this sensitive information. In the US for example, it\u2019s still legal for employers to fire gay people.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, much of this can be controlled via the Privacy Check Up mentioned above. You can alter who sees what by heading to the About section of your profile and selecting Edit under each section. To alter privacy settings from Friends to Only Me will hide the information from your profile. In many cases you may want to remove it completely by clicking the X.<\/p>\n
5) I want to\u2026 hide posts from other people<\/b>
\nIf you\u2019re still friends with an ex on Facebook, it might be considered poor form to post photos of you in a new relationship in a place where he\/she can see them. You can get around this by hitting Custom from the \u201cWho should see this?\u201d menu and tagging people you wish to hide the post from.<\/p>\n
This is also a good way to prevent that outspoken friend embarrassing you by commenting on a controversial subject.<\/p>\n
6) I want to\u2026 post something, but hide it from my timeline<\/b>
\nMaybe you have something to say and don\u2019t want it as a permanent record on your timeline, a thought, a meme, a joke in context that\u2019s of its time, a photo, etc. You can achieve this by ticking the Hide From Timeline box in the post field.<\/p>\n
7) I want to\u2026 stop people sharing my photos and posts<\/b>
\nIf you\u2019ve shared a photo or a status on Facebook, it\u2019s open to be re-shared by those who have access to it. That means Friends and, if you\u2019ve tagged people, Friends of Friends. If the post is Public then anyone in the world can share it There\u2019s no way around that, other than to set the post to Only Me in the first place, which kind of defeats the point in most cases.<\/p>\n
8) I want to\u2026 check what my Public profile looks like<\/b>
\nAs all profiles are now searchable within Facebook, you may want to check how your profile looks to someone who stumbled upon it. To do this you can head to Settings > Followers and tap \u201cWant to know what followers can see? View your public Timeline.\u201d Here you can see how it looks to the Public. If you spot information or posts you do not want to be public Edit the privacy settings of individual posts or go to Settings to censor it from the public.<\/p>\n
You can also use this tool to see what a specific friend sees.<\/p>\n
9) I want to\u2026 change who can see old posts<\/b>
\nIn the early days of Facebook we were quite na\u00efve with what we shared. Thankfully, within Settings > Privacy, you can rectify some of your past privacy mistakes. You can click Limit Old Posts, which will change any posts listed as Public or Friends of Friends and clicking Confirm, to ensure only Friends can see them. This can be undone at a later date.<\/p>\n
10) I want to\u2026 limit who can send me friend requests
\n<\/b>Click Settings > Privacy and head to \u201cwho can send me friend requests.\u201d You can change it from Everybody to Friends of Friends, but that\u2019s about as far as you can go. This is also accessible form the Privacy Shortcuts accessed by clicking the padlock.<\/p>\n
11) I want to\u2026 block someone<\/b>
\nThis one\u2019s easy (and fun). Use the Privacy Shortcuts or go to Settings > Blocking, begin typing the name of the friend (or ex-friend) you wish to block from your account. You can also block certain people from sending you messages, but you have to be friends with them.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also possible to block people people you\u2019re not friends with by heading to their profile, clicking the \u201c\u2026\u201d on the right hand side and selecting Block.<\/p>\n
12) I want to\u2026 limit who can look me up through contact information<\/b>
\nFacebook probably has your phone number and some email addresses. If folks (i.e. potential employers, old flames, stalkers, etc.) were to enter these in search, they may be able to discover your profile. In Settings > Privacy you can correct this by selecting either Everyone, Friends of Friends or Friends.<\/p>\n
13) I want\u2026 my Facebook page kept off Google<\/b>
\nThere\u2019s no hiding from Facebook\u2019s overarching Search engine, all you can do is lock down your privacy settings and hope you have a common name. However it\u2019s different in the case of other search engines like Google. Within Settings > Privacy, you can ensure your Facebook profile is exempt by selecting No.<\/p>\n
14) I want to\u2026 hide my real name<\/b>
\nThe right to anonymity was and, in some cases, still is one of the most cherished tenets of the internet. With Facebook now showing all profiles within search results, changing to an assumed name seems a good idea for those who don\u2019t want to be discovered, have been harassed work in sensitive industries, have been discriminated about etc\u2026<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it\u2019s not that easy. Facebook makes you use your birth name when signing up and has very strict rules about changing it thereafter. If you\u2019re reported for a fake name it could suspend your account. The company has softened its stance following feedback from victims of abuse and the LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n
15) I want to\u2026 protect my location<\/b>
\nFacebook loves it when you check into places, it gobbles up all of that lovely data to attract advertisers. However, you may want to protect your location. The very obvious step is not to click the location pin when posting.<\/p>\n
However, when you\u2019re using the mobile app, Facebook may try to use GPS and Wi-Fi to name your location. You can prevent this from happening by entering the Location settings on your mobile device and denying Facebook access.<\/p>\n
In iOS it goes: Settings > Privacy > Location > Facebook > Never<\/p>\n
16) I want to\u2026 prevent\/remove a tag<\/b>
\nDown the years, our friends have tagged us in some damn awful stuff. Developed social media etiquette, and full knowledge of potential consequences, mean it doesn\u2019t happen so much these days. However help is at hand.<\/p>\n
In Settings > Timeline and Tagging you can ask to review every tag before it appears on your or anyone else\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n
You can always select Remove Tag within individual post settings. If the post is offensive, you can also Report Post if you want it off the site altogether.<\/p>\n
17) I want to\u2026 make my profile completely private<\/b><\/p>\n
Until last October, it was possible to hide your Facebook account, so it would not show up within search. When the company broadened its Universal Search through the Knowledge Graph initiative, it no longer became an option.<\/p>\n
Now, even if your privacy settings are completely locked down you\u2019ll appear within search results. There\u2019s still information people can glean from that, such as the profile picture, your list of friends and the pages you\u2019ve liked. No way around it, sadly.<\/p>\n
18) I want to\u2026 tag friends but limit who sees the posts<\/b><\/p>\n
When you tag people in posts and photos, the audience for the post can be much greater. The friend must approve the post to their timeline, but if they do, all of their friends will be able to see it too. For example, if you\u2019re tagging a friend in a photo featuring your child, you\u2019re expressing consent that people outside of your friendship circle can view it, react to it, share it and even comment on it.<\/p>\n
So, in other words, if you\u2019re concerned about who might view the photo, tagging friends is best avoided.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Facebook Privacy Settings: Check and change your privacy settings on Facebook today It seems there isn\u2019t a day that goes by without Facebook and privacy being in the news. Most recently, there\u2019s the small matter of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, which is causing users to leave Facebook in droves. But there is an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technical-support","tag-technical-support"],"yoast_head":"\n