Facebook and privacy settings

[dimity_blue]

I don't know about you, but I have my privacy settings quite high. At least, I thought I did. I read a message on a message board, warning about "what your friends can share about you", so went to take a look at mine.

According to FB's default settings, my friends could share everything (updates, photos, home town, links - the lot) except relationship status and my religion! I've unticked them all and saved it.

To check your own, go into 'privacy settings' (under 'account'), and then into 'applications and websites', and then 'what your friends can share about you'.

Also, check out this article on how to opt out of FB's personalization options - the personalization option is apparently so applications (yours or your friends) can use *all* your data. ::is totally not impressed::

Of course, any new way FB brings in to share everything they know about you enhance your FB experience is automatically set to "yes!" because of course you want FB to circumvent whatever privacy settings you thought you already had in place. Nice of them, isn't it?

ETA: Verrrry interesting - and annoying. I've unticked all those "what your friends can share about you" boxes three times so far and saved my preferences...but each time I go back, they're ticked again.

Comments

[katana137uk.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure mine are set how I want them, but never hurts to double check!

The thing I see the most wide open are photos - which is often how I see what my younger niece is getting up to! Her friends have their profiles locked but when they upload photos they are either friends of friends or public!

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I spoke to a friend of mine about this. She unticked all her boxes and the changes were saved. Mine? Are still not saved. It must be a glitch, but fortunately, I really don't have anything on FB apart from my name - and there are tons of people with that name. :oD

Does your younger niece realise anyone and everyone can see them? It makes it so much harder to keep track though when FB keep on changing things!

[katana137uk.livejournal.com]

I don't think she cares and she's 16 now so some of it's less of an issue. But I find it very hard not to be cross with my sister and ex-brother-in-law when I see pictures of her smoking and drinking and wearing extremely short skirts. The whole smoking issue appalled me from the start, my sister just seemed to keel over and let her do it. I used to smoke, years ago before I had David and they hated it, so I can't understand how they could let their daughter do it :-(

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I guess they can't actually stop her now she can legally buy cigarettes. :o( It's an awful habit though. I know how hard it was for my mum to give up, though she's recently started having one on her birthday/one at Christmas. Ack!

Well done you for giving it up! Maybe your niece will see sense, sooner or later.

[katana137uk.livejournal.com]

It's 18 to buy cigarettes now, changed a couple of years ago.

Thanks, I really can't believe now that I did smoke, really hate the smell and the whole idea now!

Another reason I worry about my niece is I remember what I was like at that age ;-)

[caarianna.livejournal.com]

I basically hate Facebook and don't trust it at all, because it's so easily hacked. I only use it to see photos family members post there. LOL, I guess my Luddite tendencies make me very suspicious of these new ways of 'networking'.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

FB seems to have so many difficulties now. I wish they'd stop changing the settings and just leave them alone - it makes it harder to keep track of who can see what on your profile.

I don't blame you for avoiding it. I mainly use it for games anyway, and if they keep this up, it will *only* be for games and nothing else!