8 Facebook Privacy Settings To Check
Facebook's renewed focus on privacy brought new settings and apps to the social network in 2014. Check out the settings you should review.
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Nearly five years ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared privacy dead.
"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people," he said in early 2010. "That social norm is something that has evolved over time. We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are."
Zuckerberg's comment came a month after Facebook moved forward with drastic changes to its privacy settings. It made users' name, gender, profile pictures, current city, networks, and friend lists all publicly available, meaning anyone -- both on and off the social network -- could view them.
Four years later, those social norms surrounding privacy, openness, and sharing flipped -- and Facebook responded. In a conference call with investors this past July, Zuckerberg acknowledged that users wanted more privacy, and Facebook took action over the following months.
"At some level, there are only so many photos you're going to want to share with all your friends," Zuckerberg said.
[Catch up on the latest Facebook changes. Read Facebook: 10 New Changes That Matter.]
In 2014, Facebook has demonstrated a renewed focus on privacy. The social network introduced new apps, settings, and features focused on increased privacy and sharing with more intimate audiences.
In March, it debuted the privacy dinosaur that makes new users aware when they might be sharing with a broader audience than they intended. Then came the new Anonymous Login feature, which lets users sign into apps without sharing personal information; a bookmarking feature to privately save content to read later; and a privacy checkup tool, which helps you review and control the content you share.
It also launched Facebook Rooms, an app inspired by throwback Web communities where users can post photos, videos, and messages under the guise of a pseudonym. It reportedly has an app in the works code-named Moments that makes it easier to share stuff on Facebook with specific groups of friends.
Most recently, the social network simplified and shortened its privacy policies to make them easier for users to understand and added a new dashboard where you can find answers to frequently asked questions about Facebook.
"Over the past year, we've introduced new features and controls to help you get more out of Facebook, and listened to people who have asked us to better explain how we get and use information," said Facebook's chief privacy officer, Erin Egan.
But while the social network has made strides in improving privacy this year, its settings and policies are still far from perfect, often causing confusion among users. Here's a look at the top eight Facebook privacy settings you should review to start off 2015 on the right foot.
Earlier this year, Facebook started using app and website data from your browsing habits to provide you with more targeted ads. That means if you search for a particular pair of boots online, you might see those ads pop up on Facebook, too. Facebook automatically turned on this type of advertising for all users.
To opt out on desktop, visit the Digital Advertising Alliance. This website will scan for participating companies that have enabled customized ads for your browser. You can browse your results to learn more about their advertising and privacy practices, and opt out of this advertising for all or select ones.
To opt out on your mobile device, use the controls that iOS and Android provide, Facebook advised. This includes private browsing, blocking cookies, and enabling do-not-track.
At Facebook's F8 developer conference in April, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook Login, the button that allows third-party apps and websites to use Facebook Login credentials, will support Anonymous Login.
This option lets you log into apps without sharing your personal information from Facebook, which typically they require. Anonymous Login is still in beta, according to the Facebook Developers page, so only some applications support it.
Facebook launched a new mobile feature in April called Nearby Friends, a location-tracking tool that alerts your friends when you're in close proximity. While it might sound creepy, the feature is optional -- if you turn it on, you can choose who you want to share your location with -- and reciprocal, so your friends will only see your location if they share theirs as well.
If you've ever turned on Nearby Friends, it simultaneously turns on your Facebook Location History setting, which builds a database of the places you've been -- even when you're not actively using the app. You can find this information in the location history section of your activity log.
If you want to turn off your location history, tap the More button, then Nearby Friends, then tap the gear icon. From that list, tap Location Settings, then switch the Location History feature to off.
You can also delete locations from your history. To remove places individually, visit your Activity Log from your desktop and click More, then Location History. To clear your entire location history, click Clear Location History at the top.
If you're not sure which parts of your profile are public and which are friends-only, browse your profile in View As mode to see what others see.
Find this setting by clicking the gear icon in your cover photo, then selecting View As. This will default to show you what parts of your profile are public. To see what a particular friend sees, click View as Specific Person at the top and type in his or her name. When you're done, click the X at the top to leave View As and return to normal browsing.
Frenemies, exes, and everything else you've searched for -- Facebook keeps track of it all. The good news: You can easily clear your search history.
Find your search history by visiting your Activity Log, and click More from the left-side navigation. Then click Search. Your entire search history will load, so long as you've never deleted it before. To remove individual searches, click the Block icon and select Remove. To clear it all, click the Clear Searches link at the top.
Facebook launched a new tool in September that reviews who you share content with. You can access Privacy Checkup by clicking the Privacy Shortcuts icon at the top of Facebook.
Privacy Checkup takes you through three steps to review your settings, including the audience of your status updates, the apps you have used Facebook to log into, and the privacy of key pieces of your profile, including your work information, education, and current city.
See something you don't like? Privacy Checkup lets you make changes to your settings on the spot.
The privacy of your photos and posts are two of the most common gripes users have with Facebook, as the settings for each have changed many times over the years.
To choose who can see posts you've been tagged in, visit your Settings page, then click Timeline and Tagging. Look for the setting "Who can see posts you've been tagged in on your Timeline?" and click edit. Then, choose the audience.
You can also review photos and posts you're tagged in before they appear on your profile by turning on Timeline Review. Find this under the same Timeline and Tagging menu on your Settings page, then enable "Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your Timeline."
When you use Facebook's Messenger app to chat with friends, it tracks your location. If you're an Android user, the app tags your location in messages by default, but requests permission from iOS users to turn on location services.
Your friends can see your location in two places: below your message and on a map, which friends can access by tapping your chat bubble. To turn off this feature, tap the arrow or the small circle next to your text box, which turns it from blue (on) to gray (off). You can also turn off your location setting for Messenger in the settings section of your device.
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