How to To Use Facebook Safely

Over 800 million people of all ages and nationalities use the Facebook social network as a way of letting friends and relatives know what they are doing. Using the website safely requires a two-prong approach: control who can see the information you post and don't post private information that could be used to harm you.

Instructions

1. Log in to your Facebook account.

2. Set your account privacy settings before you begin to post on Facebook. Click the arrow in the upper right corner of the Facebook page and select "Privacy Settings" from the drop-down menu that appears. In the Control Your Default Privacy section, click "Friends." Unless you change the audience for one of your posts, only your acknowledged friends on the website are able to see it. Do not choose "Public" because that opens your information to the world. Later you may want to fine-tune your privacy settings using the "Custom" setting.

3. Use the audience selector each time you post a status on Facebook. Look for it in the lower right corner of the status message and select the audience before you click "Post." Select "Friends" to limit the post to only your acknowledged friends on the website.

4. Assign each photo and photo album you maintain on the site a privacy setting. Look for the audience selector and choose "Friends." Even with this setting, use caution. If you friend your boss or your mother, you may wish to restrict certain photos even further using the "Custom" choice.

5. Do not give out your home address or phone number to anyone who contacts you through Facebook. Think carefully about listing your current city. Control who can see your basic information by clicking "Edit Profile" on your profile page. Click "Basic Information" in the left column and then choose an audience next to each piece of personal information listed. Repeat the process with each of the other tabs in the left column. Click "Save Changes."

6. Click on your name at the top of the Facebook screen to return to your profile. Click the "View As" button in the top right portion of the screen. It shows how your profile appears to your friends. Click the word "public" in the paragraph at the top of the screen to see how your profile appears to strangers; little information should show. Type in the name of a specific friend to see how your profile appears to that particular friend.

References

• Facebook Help Center: Privacy