How to use Facebook's new privacy settings

Facebook introduced new privacy settings to its more than 130 million members on December 10, 2009. I took a look at the new settings and though I'm still evaluating I find them to be a remarkable improvement over their old privacy system. These steps will help you to better understand Facebook's new privacy setting.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Facebook

1. ~ Understand the new privacy levels ~
   
   Facebook has four levels of privacy that you must understand before you change your settings.
   
   Everyone: Everyone means everyone on the internet; not just Facebook.
   
   Friends and Networks: This setting will share with just your friends and to those in the networks in which you belong. So, if you share your Birthday both Friends and those in your network, both can view your birthday (even though you may not be Facebook friends with everyone in your network).
   
   Friends of Friends: Here, friends of your friends can view your information. Imagine that we are Facebook friends with a guy named Joe but we aren't friends with each other. If you set your Profile Information to this setting it means I can see your Profile Information because we are both friends with Joe though we are not Facebook friends.
   
   Only Friends: This will make certain that the only people who can view your content are those who you've friended on Facebook.
   
   Customized: Facebook now lets you customize security down to the individual user. You can include and exclude. For example you can set your contact information so that only members of your family can see your phone number. You can also block specific people from viewing certain personal information (do you really want your boss to see you tagged in photos at that bachelor or bachelorette party??).

2. ~ Go to the security page on Facebook ~
   After logging into Facebook click on 'Settings' in the upper right corner of the page next to the Search box. On the next page, the second to last option is Privacy. Click 'Manage'.

3. ~ Update your Profile Information ~
   Click on the 'Profile Information' link. This page gives you a list of items to configure your privacy settings. You can set the level of privacy (discussed above) on each of these personal information items:
   
   About me: Everything in your 'About Me' description in your Facebook profile.
   
   Personal Information: Interests, Activities, Favorites.
   
   Birthday, Religious, and Political views: Self-explanatory.
   
   Family and Relationships: Family Members, Relationship Status, Interested In, and Looking For.
   
   Education and Work: Schools, Colleges and Workplaces.
   
   Photo Albums: You can set security for all of your albums individually.
   
   Posts by Me: This is everything that would get posted to your wall such as Status Updates, Links, Notes, Photos, and Videos.
   
   Allow friends to post on my Wall: If you want to allow friends to write on your wall, check the box.
   
   Posts by Friends: Controls who can see posts by your friends on your profile.
   
   Comments on Posts: Controls who can comment on posts you create.

4. ~ Update your Contact Information ~
   After finishing the 'Profile Information' Facebook privacy settings click the 'Back to Privacy' button. Click 'Contact Information'. You can modify the Facebook privacy settings in the following categories:
   
   IM Screen Name
   Mobile Phone
   Other Phone
   Current Address
   Website
   Hometown
   Add me as a friend
   Control who can add you as a friend from search results and from your profile
   Control who can send you a message from search results and from your profile
   Email Addresses

5. ~ Control Each and Every Status Update ~
   Now you can control the privacy of your status updates. Simple type in your new status and click the lock icon under the status update area. Select the appropriate audience for your status update and click 'Share'.

Tips & Warnings

• What are networks? To join a network you usually need to have an email address associated with that network. For example, you can't join the IBM network without an IBM email address.
• On their privacy page, Facebook would like you to share as much information with 'Everyone' as possible. Ultimately it is your decision.
• Remember that 'Everyone' is everyone on the Internet, not just Facebook.

Resources

• Facebook

[angelmom1]

on 12/20/2009 Thanks Ron, now I feel safer about connecting with my grandkids on facebook. Now I know that I can set my security level so as not to expose them to the whole internet.