Facebook PrivacySwimming with Sharks as Safely as Possible

There really is no such thing as privacy when using social media- The very reason it exists is to reveal, not conceal.

Stay abreast of your favorite website’s privacy policies. They change- often- and in the case of Facebook, rarely notify you of the fact. (I recommend Lifehacker and Mashable.)

Privacy Settings are only useful before you post. Once something is online, even if you delete it later, it is no longer within your control.

Assume every click, search, and second is recorded.

The Internet and You

Name Profile Pictures Networks Username and ID (Facebook URL)

These 4 Things will always be Publicly Viewable on Facebook

Post Privacy- status updates, etc. Profile Accessibility- who can find and “friend” you. Timeline and Tagging- How others can post info or

tag pictures of you. Apps and Websites- Whether or not Apps can have

access to your information (Danger Zone!) Past Posts- limiting what people can see from you

“old news.” Blocking Specific People and Apps

Privacy Settings

Facebook allows you to share posts with a dropdown menu from your Timeline and News Stream. You may choose: Public Friends Custom

You may also select a default setting for posts in the settings menu.

Posting- Privacy Settings

These Settings Control: Who can find you in a search Who can send you a friend request Who can send you messages

Options include: Friends (Private) Friends of Friends (Semi Private) Everyone (Public)

Profile Accessibility

These Settings Determine: Who can post on your Timeline (Wall) Who can Tag your posts and uploads (Tag: attach

your name as a link that leads to your profile and timeline)

Who can use your name to Tag their own posts and uploads

Whether or not Facebook can use facial recognition to automatically tag photos with your name that are uploaded on any Timeline.

Timeline and Tagging

Games, applications and websites connected to your Facebook account. Created by Facebook and third parties.

All apps interact with your publicly available profile information as well as your friends lists.

Most apps interact with the “basic information” of you and your friends. Please be aware of what is included in the “basic information” definition!

Apps and Websites-

List of Apps you UseYou can delete Apps from this List (You cannot “get back”

any information you already share with them, they just can’t get more.)

You can look at the information each app interacts with Manage what parts of your personal “basic information” your

friends can carry with them as they use apps. Turn off or on “Instant Personalization” at partnering websites

to see what you friends have shared there. Turn off or on search engine results for your name. (BTW results

show a portion of your Timeline in an image, potentially compromising all your well laid privacy plans.)

Apps Settings

As previously mentioned, each App shares your information differently.

Be careful when using Facebook as a sign in tool on other sites.

Those sites may be publishing your activity on your timeline for all to see!

Make sure to adjust the settings for every App and Website that interacts with your Facebook account.

Last note on Apps

You can enable limiting past posts to only friends. Each post must be changed back manually for

share it with others, but the only option is “public.”

This will effect all past posts, starting back from your most current.

This will not recall information that people have saved or shared. (Remember, nothing will ever come back, once its out.) I just means no one can access it via your account anymore.

Past Posts

You can block peoplethey cannot “friend you”see your profilemessage you, etc.

You can block app invites from people You can block specific apps You can block invitations from certain people

Blocking

Registration informationNameAddressBirthdateChat contactsPhone Number

Data You Share on Purpose

Status Updates Uploaded photos or video Comments “likes” Tags Global Positioning

Data You Share on Purpose

Clicks Searches IP addresses Advertisers who work with Facebook

Data You Might Not Share on Purpose

No matter your privacy settings, if you write or comment on someone else’s page or website, their settings will determine who sees your post – not yours.

Your fiends will also drag your information along with the when they use Apps…more on that later.

Friends – Ruining your best laid plans

Are you an immensely popular personality who doesn’t want to “friend” the world but benefits greatly from having constant access to throngs of fans?!

Me neither.

But if you are, the subscriber setting option may be for you. Subscribers are like friends, except they only receive public information and posts.

Subscribers- Advanced Friendship

Apps collect additional information. Depending on the app, that information will be

used/shared in different ways. Each App will ask you to “allow” certain

interactions with your personal information. Examples:

SpotifyPinterestFarmville

Apps- Advanced Users

You may turn off all Apps to secure your data (from unintentional app usury, that is…Facebook and Friends are still watching!)

Turning off Apps means no games or non timeline-based services. (Boo! Where’s the fun in that?)

Apps

To provide you other/new Facebook services. (Innovation)

To connect you with people you may know or like (Social Networking)

To advertise goods/services to you from companies who pay Facebook for the privilege of your data.

How Facebook Currently Uses Your Data

Facebook claims to remove all personally identifying information from the advertising data they collect from you before they share it with advertisers

This may not be true of the companies that share advertising data with Facebook. Be sure to check the data collection and sharing practices of your favorite sites.

Advertising Data

Third Party Ads- In the future Facebook may make third party advertisements that are publicly viewable. You can pre-opt out in your accounts settings.

Ads and Friends- Facebook connects your profile information to Advertisements based on your activities using Social Plugins, such as “likes.”

Facebook Ads

Secure Browsing –https Login Notifications- You can receive emails if your

account is accessed from an unknown device Login Approvals- You can restrict logins from unknown

devices App Passwords- You can add additional password layers

to Apps Recognized Devices- If you turn on Login Approvals you

can add devices to this list Session Information- You can see where you have logged

in from in the past.

Account Security

Want to look into your entire history? Facebook can send you and archive of your profile. Expanded Archives are available.

Photos or videos you've shared on Facebook

Your Wall posts, messages and chat conversationsYour friends' names and some of their

email addresses

Account Archive

The Archive does not include:Your friends' photos and status updatesOther people's personal infoComments you've made on other

people's posts

If you request an archive, be sure to save it in a safe place.

Archive Continued

Deactivating your account- Deactivating does not delete your account information. It simply turns your profile off, until you choose to turn it back on.

Deleting your account- Deleting your account will permanently delete you profile after 14 days. They claim that they will delete you data after 90 days. Assume user data you have entered still exists for Facebook’s use in Ad revenue and future innovations (Copies retained for “technical reasons.”) However, Data is not accessible via your profile. Furthermore, it cannot be retrieved to recreate your profile should you change your mind. Keep in mind, many posts you have made using your account will still exist, but it will now be connected to a dead link.

Deactivating and/or Deleting your Account

1. Go to every site you access via Facebook Connect (ie. If you sign on using FB) and close you accounts. If you access any of these sites before the 14 day waiting period is up, FB will NOT DELETE. (Feel free to sign back up the traditional way- after 14 days to be safe.)

2. Go to Facebook’s Deletion Page (Good Luck finding it through your profile- Google it.) Click submit. Confirm that you are sure. Enter login information and Captcha phrase.

3. Check you email to make sure you have received confirmation.

4. Do not visit Facebook for at least 14 days.

Deleting- Not as Simple as it Looks

Remember that you online identity is just as valuable as your in-person reputation.

Would you say or do those things face to face?When in doubt, don’t post it, nothing is really private online.

In most cases, with common sense and due diligence, using Facebook is well worth the risks.

Now that you are Sufficiently Freaked Out