technology with intention
Important Facebook privacy changes
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled plans to connect Facebook accounts with other companies all over the internet, from CNN to Levi’s and further. The changes to how other companies can use YOUR Facebook information are a big deal – please take a few minutes to follow this step-by-step guide to protecting your digital identity.
- Who: Facebook and advertising partners
- What: changes to how Facebook shares their information about you (photos, videos and information)
- When: now & forever (unless courts or public advocacy shuts it down)
- Where: not just on Facebook but on the websites of anyone that wants to use Facebook’s info
- Why: benefit to Facebook and partners: money, supposed benefit to you: personalized experience. It’s easier for Levi’s to sell you a pair of jeans if they have a list of 5 of your best friends that have already purchased them. Levi’s can even tell you how much your friends spent and what size they bought!
- How: Facebook partners can store your information and share it with your network. There are currently no limits on how long they can keep the info or where they can use it.
To protect yourself from this new system, follow the screenshots below:
1. Login to your account. From the dropdown list under “Account” (top right corner), click on “Account Settings.” (screenshot below)
2. There are a number of tabs at the center top of the screen (settings, networks, notifications, etc). Select Facebook ads. On the next screen, change “allow ads of platform pages…” to “No One” and hit “Save Changes”. (screenshot below)
3. Back to “Account” in the top right corner of the page, click on “Privacy Settings.” You’ll end up on a page that looks like the screenshot below.
4. Click on “Applications and Websites.” On the next screen (screenshot below) you’ll see “Instant Personalization” at the bottom of the list.
5. Click on “Instant Personalization” on the next page, look for and UNCHECK the tiny check box at the bottom that says “Allow selected partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites.” (screenshot below)
6. You’ll get a pop-up that tries to convince you not to uncheck this box. Click “Confirm.” (screenshot below)
7. Head back to “Accounts>Privacy Settings” (step 3 above). Click on “Applications and Websites”. From the screen, choose “What your friends can share about you” and uncheck everything. Click “Save Changes.”
The above steps will help you stay in control of your information. As always, the best way to keep data safe is to not post it online in the first place. For more information about how to configure your Facebook settings, please reference our previous post.
This is an important post and timely. Thanks for the early warning and for making sense of the new announcements.
[...] to speak about other sites’ practices. I will say, however, that you may want to check out this page, courtesy of Billings Beta, which talks about some Facebook privacy changes you might want to make [...]
Thank you for this!