Facebook Privacy Settings

Nelumdini Samaranayake

Since its inception in 2004, Facebook (FB) has become a popular social network service. Also, it has become a basic tool, a mirror of social interaction, personal identity and network building for all. One could reduce the risk by being aware of the actual danger that relates to fear of online victimization and take better privacy protection, higher transparency of who is visiting one’s page and being more educated about the risks of posting personal information (Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn, Hughes, 2009). The most apparent and readily available method to control is the visibility of profile information. This should be restricted only to friends and also being aware of the privacy settings tend to balance the apparent threats to privacy.

Although Facebook is fantastic if one is not careful, strangers can view the photos, location, family and even relationship status. Without knowing one can share personal information. Some of the privacy settings that can control so that one can be safe without giving your Facebook account information are:

  • Restrict Personal Information: Check the friend list making sure everyone listed is known to you, making sure there is reasonable trust with them. watch out for bot ant impostor accounts sending friend requests.  
  • Limit your audience in Facebook privacy settings: Making sure only the people you know see your posts.
  • Control tagging: Make sure that only friends can post and see things that others have posted on your timeline.
  • Remove your activity data: Activity records can be edited so that Facebook no longer has a detailed log of your account activity.
  • Protect yourself on messenger: If the contacts are synced on your Facebook messenger apps, Facebook has access to your call and text message history it is best to turn this off.

References

Bernhard Debatin, Jennette P. Lovejoy, Ann-Kathrin Horn, Brittany N. Hughes, Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Volume 15, Issue 1, 1 October 2009, Pages 83–108, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01494.x

Subia, J. (2018) 8 Steps to Secure Your Facebook Privacy Settings https://www.abine.com/blog/2019/8-steps-to-secure-your-facebook-privacy-settings/

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Published by Nelumdini Samaranayake

Nelumdini Samaranayake started her career in the information technology field and is now in the education environment. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas. Inspired by the saying “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow” by John Dewy. She is excited to take the new technology of instructions to the life of the learner; according to the universal declaration of human rights, “Everyone has the right to education.”

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