10 Ways to Protect Your Privacy – Facebook Edition

Facebook has had multiple security breaches throughout the years, including the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018. Facebook has also been chastised for a number of situations, including data leaks, publicised private discussions, privacy breaches, and so on.

Although it is true that any online platform that collects information about its users can be readily hacked, Facebook fortunately provides its users with a number of tools to assist limit privacy breaches.

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This post will show you how to preserve your privacy on Facebook in 15 different methods.

1. Control Who You Share Content With

a. Limit Privacy for Past and Future Posts

Users can choose who can see their future or existing postings with xFacebook. The default timeline post settings on the social network were modified from ‘public’ to ‘friends’ in 2014. These parameters for posts and photographs can be readily changed by users. Settings and Privacy -> Settings -> Privacy can be used to change them.

When a user hits Edit in the Your Activity area, they are given numerous options:

Public –This option allows everyone on the internet to see your postings, even if they don’t have a Facebook account.

Friends –Your posts are only visible to persons who have been added as friends on Facebook.

Friends except – This allows you to eliminate viewers from viewing your posts.

Only Me – Only you and no one else will be able to see your posts.

Specific Friends – Only the friends you choose will be able to see what you’ve written.

Facebook also allows users to restrict who can see past posts on their timelines. Under Limit the Audience for Old Posts on Your Timeline under the same Your Activity area, Facebook allows users to limit the audience for prior posts and adjust the privacy of anything shared with Friends of Friends or publicly. All of your posts’ settings are then changed to only your friends.

b. Profile Locking

Facebook has provided the ability for users to lock their profiles. When you lock a profile, those who aren’t your friends can only see a portion of your stuff.

Only friends can see the photographs and posts on your timeline, access your full-size profile picture and cover photo, and all publicly posted posts will change to Friends. Only a piece of the About Info will be available to everyone if a Facebook profile is closed.

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Profile and tag reviews will be enabled, and any new posts you share will be visible exclusively to your friends. To enable profile locking, follow these steps:

1. Click on the “…” drop-down menu.
2. Click Lock Profile.
3. Click on Lock Your Profile.
4. Click OK to return to the previous page.
5. When you or anyone views your profile after locking it, a blue badge will appear on your profile stating that your profile has been locked.

2. Revoke Permissions for Apps and Games

People from all over the world have used their Facebook accounts to join up for a variety of games. If you’ve ever played Farmville or another similar game that requires you to allow access to your Facebook account, the game most likely still has access to your information. Similarly, any other apps or websites you’ve linked to your Facebook account by logging in or connecting a Facebook account with them can access your data.

To remove permissions from apps and games, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and Privacy.
2. Select Settings.
3. Go to Apps and Websites or Games.
4. The user is presented with a list of apps, websites, and games, each of which has two options: View & Edit or Remove.
5. All details shared with the website or app, such as profile photo, name, avatar, player name, friends list, preferred language, email address, and so on, can be accessed if you select the View & Edit option. The date when the app or website was first added is also shown.

The user can also pick between Public, Friends, Only Me, and Custom as the audience for posts created by the app. By pressing the Remove option, you can also remove access to rights provided and all connections between Facebook and the app or website.

1. Once an app or website has been removed, it can no longer access any non-public information. However, any information or data obtained by the app or website prior to its removal may still be accessible.
2. Check the Allow Facebook to tell [App] that your login connection has been revoked and the Delete Posts, Videos, or Events placed on Your Timeline boxes.
3. Remove the item by clicking on it.

3. Limit Who Can Find You on Facebook

You can limit who you receive friend requests from to avoid receiving unnecessary requests from strangers:

1. Go to Privacy.
2. Go to the How People Can Find and Contact You section, click on Who Can Send you Friend Requests?
3. Users can select between two options: Everyone or Friends of Friends.

4. Turn Off Location Services

Facebook uses Location Services to give users with real-time location-based information. According to the corporation, location data is used to help users discover new locations and areas around them, improve account security, and deliver more relevant adverts.

If you want to modify how Facebook obtains your location on the internet, you can do so by going to:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Location.
4. In the Location History, you can toggle the ‘Turn on Location History for your mobile devices?’ by selecting the On or Off option from the drop-down menu.

On Android and iOS, use the following Facebook apps:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Under Permissions, click on Location.
4. Edit the location option as you wish.

Even if a user’s location is turned off, Facebook can still estimate a user’s position based on information such as the user’s IP address and other factors.

5. Remove your Facebook Profile from Appearing in Search Engine Results

Facebook includes a number of options that can assist a user’s online trace become less visible. One method is to use the following to prevent your Facebook profile from appearing in Google search results:

1. Go To Settings & Privacy.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Privacy.
4. Under ‘How people can find and contact you’, look for ‘Do you want search engines outside Facebook to link to your profile?’
5. Click on Edit and make your selection.

6. Review Profile and Tagging Settings

You can control who can tag you in posts on Facebook, and you can approve every post you’ve been tagged in before it appears on your timeline. To alter your tagging preferences, go to:

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1. Go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Profile & Tagging.
4. Under Profile, users can change ‘Who can Post on Your Profile?’ and ‘Who can see what others post on your profile?’ Users also have the choice to select between ‘Friends’ and ‘Only Me’.
5. Users can also add keywords in the Hide Comments Containing Certain Words from Your Profile.
6. Users can alter ‘Who can view posts that you’re tagged in on your profile?’ under Tagging. ‘Who do you want to add to the audience of a post if they haven’t already seen it?’ and ‘When you’re tagged in a post, who do you want to add to the audience of the post if they haven’t already seen it?’ Users can choose from the following options: Everyone, Friends of Friends, Friends with Exceptions, Specific Friends, Only Me, and Custom.
7. Toggle the choices for ‘Review posts that you’re tagged in before the post appears on your profile’ and ‘Review tags that people add to your posts before the tags appear on Facebook’ in the Reviewing section.

7. Restrict or Block a Specific User

It’s quite easy for individuals to connect with someone they don’t want to be associated with on social media. You have the opportunity to block individual users on Facebook:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Blocking.
4. Under the Restricted List section, you can add a friend to the list if you want them to stay friends but do not want them to view any of your posts. However, the other user can still view any posts you share with the Public or on a mutual friend’s timeline.
5. Under the Blocking section, you can block a user by simply typing their name into the given space.
6. Under the Blocking Messages section, added users will not be able to contact you in Messenger, send you messages, or call you.
7. Other blocking options provided by Facebook include blocking accounts blocked by a user’s Accounts Centre, block account invites, block app invites, block event invitations, block apps, and block pages.

8. Access, Manage and Download your Facebook Information

Facebook allows users to manage and retrieve any information they have posted online. Users can also obtain their data for inspection by following the steps below:

1. Go to Privacy & Settings.
2. Go to the Settings menu.
3. Select Your Facebook Information from the drop-down menu.
4. Access your information, transfer a copy of your information, Download your information, Activity Log, Off-Facebook Activity, Managing your Information, or Deactivation and Deletion of your Account are all options available in the settings.
5. In Access your Information, clicking on View sends you to a new page showing all your Recent Activity including all your recent activity on the site, personal information, friends and followers, logged information, security and login information, apps and websites off Facebook, Preferences, and Advertisement information.
6. In Transfer a Copy of your Information, clicking on View allows the user to transfer a copy of the information the user has created or shared on Facebook to another service. Users can also choose to download their information or access it.
7. In Download your Information, the user can download their information to keep or transfer to another service.
8. In the Activity log, the user can view and manage your information and some settings.
9. In Off-Facebook Activity, the users can view or clear activity from other businesses or organizations that they visit off of Facebook.
10. In Managing your Information, users can learn more about how to manage their information.
11. In Deactivation and Deletion, users can either temporarily deactivate or permanently delete their accounts.

9.Enable Two-Factor Authorization (2FA)

In addition to your password, two-factor authentication can help protect your Facebook account. When a new device tries to access your Facebook account after you’ve set up two-factor authentication, you’ll be asked to provide a specific login code or confirm any login attempts.

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1. Go to Privacy & Settings.
2. Go to the Settings menu.
3. Select Security and Login Settings from the drop-down menu.
4. Scroll down to Two-Factor Authentication and click Edit next to Use Two-Factor Authentication.
5. If you enable the Authentication app, you can generate verification tokens with any app, such as Google Authenticator or Duo Mobile, for more privacy and security.
6. You can receive verification codes via SMS if you enable text communications (SMS). Even if two-factor authentication is enabled, any phone numbers used for two-factor authentication cannot be used to reset your password.
7. You can use a physical security key to help safeguard your Facebook account from illegal access if you enable Security Key.

10. Facebook Security Check-Up

Facebook’s Privacy Check-Up function walks users through some of their privacy and security settings, allowing them to double-check their settings and ensure they’re only sharing their content with the people they want to share it with.

1. From the top right corner, access Settings and Privacy
2. Click on Privacy Check-Up
3. Who Can See What You Share: You can access Profile Information, Posts, Stories, and Blocking.
4. How to Keep Your Account Secure: You can check your Password, turn on two-factor authentication, and manage login alerts.
5. How People can find you on Facebook: Here you can check friend requests, phone numbers and email addresses, and settings for search engines.
6. Your Data Settings on Facebook: Let’s you access the various options for Apps and Websites.
7. Your Ad Preferences on Facebook: Let’s you learn more about advertisements on Facebook, Profile Information, and Social Interactions.