End Your Confusion About Facebook Safety

Facebook has been all over the news lately and not in a good way. Considering that over 80% of boomers belong to at least one social media site and Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform among boomers, chances are you're on Facebook or have considered joining. So you probably should pay attention to all the Facebook headlines you've been seeing. But what if all those headlines only offer bits and pieces of information? We've got you covered - read on for what you need to know to keep your privacy and data safe.

First, check out this article from Fortune for a summary of all the recent and ongoing Facebook dilemmas. The first listed is Cambridge Analytica, which is what most of the recent fuss is about (this article from NY Times goes into great detail about it). Basically, the data firm accessed private data on millions of Facebook users without direct consent (go here to see if your data was shared). The data that was collected? Details about user identities, friend networks and "likes" (pages you "like") - not individual posts, pictures etc - to be used for target marketing. So what can you do now?

The good news is that Facebook offers tools to control your privacy, so you should go ahead and review all of your privacy settings in your Facebook account. Check out this super informative and helpful article on Wired.com: The Complete Guide to Facebook Privacy. This article will walk you through, step by step, on all the privacy settings Facebook offers. This is a great resource and is easy to understand and follow. It explains apps, ads, your timeline/posts/friends, and how to suspend or delete your account. Adjusting these settings won't totally stop the data collection, but it will greatly restrict what is known and shared about you.

Unless you're going to ditch the internet entirely, deleting your Facebook account won't rid you of today's digital reach. Here is a good article with tips on how to manage your privacy online.

Here are some other tips to help keep your Facebook account secure and your information private:

  • Don't take quizzes.
  • Don't let apps connect to your account.
  • Don't sign into third-party websites using your Facebook log-in credentials.
  • Be selective with what you post - don't overshare and don't post anything that you would be devastated to share with the world if a total breach were to occur.
  • Disable location services so Facebook can't track your every move. This article explains how to do this.

Because the digital world is constantly evolving, once you review your Facebook settings and online privacy, you're not done forever. Make a point to check your settings every once in a while!

 




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