With all the concerns about Facebook privacy these days, here are a few simple steps you can take to protect your privacy:
1. Don't provide information that you don't want to have shared with the universe. Simply put, anything you put online is easily transmitted and generally accessible. Be especially cautious about providing personal information that can be used by identity fraudsters. Beyond personal information, before posting videos and photos, ask yourself if you are comfortable with your entire family, current and future employers, friends and complete strangers viewing this material since, in all likelihood, there's a good chance that it will eventually become available for public viewing.
2. If you plan to use Facebook for gaming or for business purposes, create a separate account. This way your friends and family are not going to get mixed in with the thousands of strangers you only know through Farmville or from your e-commerce activities.
3. Don't become Facebook friends with total strangers -- the reason is obvious.
4. Adjust your privacy settings. Be aware that the default settings allow for more sharing than many people would like (remember Facebook is a business and wants to monetize your information). Because of constant updates to Facebook, you should check these settings at least once a month.
5. Be very suspicious of applications. They request access to your personal information and you don't know what they will do with that information. It's the equivalent of opening your house to a stranger and then announcing "I'll be back in a little while, do whatever you want."
6. Don't use the same passwords for your Facebook account as your other accounts (e-mail, bank).
With all of this said, remember that in this digital age most of our personal information is already readily available. At least by taking these steps you can protect your privacy a little, but when in doubt always revert to rule #1 - if you don't want the entire world to see something, then don't post it.
Follow Howard Steven Friedman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/howardsfriedman
-Howard
I created a separate account using a different email address and a unique Facebook name. I then linked this newly created account to my regular Facebook account and liked a few pages. I then followed the process of deleting this newly created account. After waiting 3 weeks (I know the instructions said 2 weeks but I wanted to be sure), I then tried logging into the new account and was informed that there is no such account. I can't find this account or the unique name I created when I search within Facebook or outside using google or Bing.
While none of these test results mean that information I provided to Facebook is unretrievable by someone why is a true cybersleuth (which I am certainly not) but it seems for basic users like myself you can delete an account (so it can no longer be found in a search) without too much trouble.
2. Don't post anything you wouldn't tell your mother or employer in church...
3. Keep your opinions to your self...
4. Your street address, phone number, school or work place are not things you need to share with everyone...
5. Keep a private journal of your personal thoughts and DON'T PUBLISH THEM!!!
And remember, just because a bunch of flaming idiots can post what ever they want and get away with it doesn't mean you can...
*** Special rule for those under 21 ***
The person you are chatting with about sex and meeting up is probably a 45 year old fat guy so do a video skype meet up before you ever agree to meet face to face!!!
What exactly is the point of Facebook then?
Facebook is turning the dream of sharing into one big nightmare. Great job there Mark!
That depends on what your goal is when you open up a FB account. If your goal is to interact with 1,000's of strangers with online gaming, create an online business or to build a major online following that you can monetize (some people's goal), then per my point 2 above, create a separate Facebook account.
If your goal is to stay connected to friends and family but NOT to share personal information with the rest of the online community (many people's goal when they use Facebook) then you need to be very cautious with regard to your privacy settings, use of applications, who you friend and always remember that your personal information is always going to be at some risk.
The only thing that is changing is Facebook's PR, which you seem to be doing a bit of lately.
So if people want to share without the spying and lack of privacy, without battling Facebook every second week, I guess they have to start looking for an alternative.
Facebook is losing the plot here and correct me if I am wrong, but you seem to be excusing them for pulling a classic 'bait and switch' with their customers.
How many users would Facebook have had now if people like you were posting these warning a few years ago?