If you have a Facebook, then you may be wondering how to control your privacy on Facebook! Social networking sites are great to have, but let's just be honest, there are times when you want to post things that you don’t want EVERYONE on your friends list to see, or even times when you get irritated that someone you don’t know can access your info. Read on if you would like to learn how to control your privacy on Facebook and avoid these situations!
Using your settings properly is one way to learn how to control your privacy on Facebook. If you have your profile set to “public,” then anyone can search for you and see all your status updates and photos. Turn this setting to “private,” so that only your friends can see what you post. Remember to check your “about me” and “personal information” sections too. This is all info that the public can always see. If you don’t want the world knowing your birthday, your spouse's name, or where you went to high school, consider taking this information down.
One of the most convenient and sometimes helpful options of Facebook is the little button for blocking. Perhaps you have an ex who likes to make your life miserable, or maybe an old friend or relative that you don’t speak with anymore. You can block these people from even being able to find your page on Facebook! Just look under your settings, and choose the option to block people. Remember that the “unfriend” button works for situations that aren’t quite so extreme.
Do you want to post a photo or a status that you don’t want great grandma to see? Facebook now has the option to personalize who can see stuff you post! Before you hit “post,” just touch the little setting button beside your status. Facebook allows you to choose people to block this post from, or to choose only a few friends who can see it!
Here is one of the easiest, yet often overlooked ways to control your privacy on Facebook. Cutting down your friends list is a wise idea to protect your privacy. Do you really need 435 Facebook friends? My own rule of thumb is to have only close friends and relations, with the exception being co-workers or neighbors. I see no need to have “Facebook friends” who are really only acquaintances having access to personal details of my life. Remember that if one of your friends likes or comments on something you posted, their friends see it too. So sticking with people you know well means most of the time you will have the same friends, therefore no worry about strangers seeing what you posted!
No matter how well you know and trust each of your Facebook friends, you should still be extremely careful about posting information on Facebook that can be used against you. Personal stuff like addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, and birthdays are good things to avoid posting. Vacation dates, embarrassing photos, and military related info should be kept off of Facebook too. Remember, hackers and government officials, or even potential employers can access and see your Facebook even if you have it sealed to the public.
Now here’s a tip to get you untagged from all those horrid photos you hate without hurting anyone’s feelings! In all seriousness, look through your tagged photos. Anything posted by a friend of yours that doesn’t share many mutual friends with you, or anything that makes you uncomfortable should be untagged or removed from your page. The person who tagged you has friends that don’t know you, but they can find you by looking through your mutual friend's photos. The bottom line is this: why let embarrassing or snarky photos of yourself float around the web with your name and Facebook attached?
In worse cases, you always have the option to deactivate your account. It won’t be permanently deleted; anytime you miss having Facebook, just sign back in! But having the option to deactivate your account in times you feel that your privacy is at risk is a great comfort.
I think Facebook is a great tool, but just like anything else in the world it can be used for the wrong reasons. I hope my tips have showed you a few efficient ways to control your privacy on Facebook and make things easier on yourself! Do you have a Facebook? Please, share your tips below if you know of any ways to control your privacy and make Facebook a safer and more enjoyable place!