Face it, we’ve all heard the breaking story of a firm taking the personal information of 50 million unsuspecting Facebook users back in 2015. Since then the debate continues regarding data security on social media and Facebook is front and center. As Facebook users, we must now be cautious and aware of the potential misuse of our Facebook data.

People all over the world use Facebook to share their personal information, photos likes and dislikes with friends and it most likely won’t stop anytime soon. So, let’s go over a few privacy settings that give us a small level of control when using Facebook. Keep in mind Facebook is always making changes to these settings so you will have to continually stay on top of the latest privacy options.

Privacy Settings

Go to Settings – Privacy Settings and Tools – Now go through Activity and Contact Permissions and make sure they are set the way you wish them to be set. The most private setting is “friends.”

Delete Apps

Over the years you may have given permission to several Apps. This grants the developer insight into your Facebook profile. It’s time to remove any apps you are no longer using. Go to Settings  –  Privacy – Apps – Check All Active – Expired & Past Apps –  Revoke permission to any and all not in use.

Ad Preferences

Facebook, Google and tons of ad networks track your online activity, but you so have a minimal amount of control. Go to Setting – Ads – Your Ad preference – Go through each Section.

Your interest (Ads you’ve clicked on in the past). Advertisers (a contact list with your info, such as your email and phone number was uploaded by this advertiser). Your information (these are ads based on your profile).  Ad Settings (ads based on data from Facebook’s partners that use its tracking software or your activity on Facebook company products) – select – Not Allowed. Your list of advertisers, who have uploaded a file with your information will be quite lengthy but go through and remove any advertisers you don’t want or need. This list will be updated so you will have to go back periodically and extract the latest advertiser who uploaded your contact information.

Time Line & Tagging

Go to Settings – Time Line and tagging- who can see my post, who can see my future post and Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared – set accordingly.

Face Recognition

If Facebook’s algorithms searching for your face creeps you out switch this off.

Location

Do you want Facebook knowing where you are or where you are going? If not turn this off.

This sounds like a full-time job, and yes you will have to check on updates to Facebook policies periodically. But if the option of shutting down Facebook doesn’t appeal to you, then spend some time and take as much control over how your data gets used by Facebook. An ounce of caution may be worth the trouble.