Social media giant Facebook is gradually making changes to the design of its privacy settings page to make it easier for users to see what information is accessible through their account and how it is used. Here are some tips on which settings to pay close attention to and how to find them, as well as practical tips for better protecting your personal information when using Facebook.
When it comes to Facebook, users often think that it is enough to go to the privacy tab in the settings menu to make adjustments. As it turns out, those settings are mostly for the more visible things you want to share on Facebook, like your location, photos, and whether your posts are public or private. There's another settings section that deals with apps you've installed that know your Facebook account.
Apps, games and websites
With years of use, it's likely that you've given permission for various apps, websites, and games to interact with your Facebook account. When you create an account for an app or game with Facebook, you give it permission to share your activity or personal information. Please audit which apps you have allowed to interact with your Facebook account.
On a desktop or laptop computer, click the down arrow in the top right corner of your screen. The arrow is next to a small circle with a question mark in it. After clicking the arrow, click on “Settings” and a new page will appear. Select the "Apps and Websites" tab from the options column on the left side of the page. If you sign into any websites, games, or apps that use your Facebook account, they will appear on this page. You can also do this on a mobile device, but the process is much more streamlined using a computer.
Each app, website, or game has its own individual settings that can be accessed by clicking the little gray pencil to the right of each icon. You can also choose to remove the app or website by checking the small white box to the right of the icon and clicking 'Remove'.
Ads
The other section in the settings menu that reveals a lot about what advertisers know about you is the 'Ads' section, which is located under 'Apps and websites'. As you browse this section, it will help you understand why you are seeing certain ads. In this section, you'll see what Facebook tells advertisers you're interested in, which has a lot to do with what kinds of ads you'll see. If you see something in this section that you don't agree with, select remove and Facebook will stop telling advertisers you're interested in whatever it is.
Quizzes and Surveys
Taking quizzes and surveys online can be risky. Millions of people love doing them and sharing them, making them ideal tools for scammers. Quizzes and surveys on Facebook should be viewed with caution.
To participate, users usually have to agree to allow the creators of the quiz to access their Facebook data. The quiz often doesn't work without these permissions. By taking the quiz or survey, you could allow a person or company you know nothing about to access your name, profile picture, age, gender, date of birth, current city, IP address, your entire friends list , photos and everything you've ever liked on the site. Often by clicking on “join the quiz” you will be taken to another website or other links will appear. These links may contain a virus or be part of a phishing scam.
The safest option is to avoid them. If you want to participate, make sure the quiz is created by a reputable website or company that you are familiar with. Be wary of quizzes that ask you to log in or enter your email address. Keep an eye on your privacy settings and don't put anything that isn't absolutely necessary in your profile.
It is recommended that you also take advantage of the option to add an extra layer of security to your account by using two-factor authentication to log in. This prevents a stranger from guessing or stealing your password to access your account. Two-factor authentication requires you to sign in with a code from your phone and your password. This option can be found under the “Security and Login” tab in the settings menu.
