Facebook has changed a lot recently. New, and sometimes groundbreaking features get released on a weekly basis. Interesting times we’re living in- thanks to Twitter, Bing, and Google, the more ideas that enter the market, the more is happening.
If you lost track of all the changes and updates Facebook provided, don’t worry. We compiled 5 essential security options you should check out if you want to keep your account information secure.
1. Erase Useless Applications
Over time, some Facebook users collect dozens of applications (like quizzes, games, or brand apps). Once you allow an application to access your profile, permission remains until you delete the application or alter the apps’ privacy settings. The latter works great for apps you are currently using (like Seesmic or Yelp on the second screenshot), but what about these quizzes you took a while ago? Do you want to delete apps that have become obsolete?
Here’s how to do it: Go to Settings / Application Settings. Click through the box “Show” to see if there are any unnecessary apps waiting to be deleted. Make sure to check all of the drag-down options in “Show“.
2. Limit External Application’s Access To Your Information
You better keep an eye on the apps you’d like to keep. Although Facebook has laid out clear rules for app developers how and in which ways to use personal information, it’s great to have some control over which information gets spread. In “Show“, open “Granted Additional Permissions“. In here you can stop apps from publishing news on your news feed (and your friends’ news feed) or from accessing your information when you’re actually not using the app:
3. How Public Is Your Profile?
Perhaps the most overlooked security features in Facebook are hidden in the Settings / Privacy / Search domain. How do you want your Facebook page appear to people who you’re not friends with? Do you like to be listed in Google? If so, what do you allow people to see once they click on your listing in search engine results? Your friends list, your profile picture, or pages you are a fan of? You can change all these options here.
Remember that people who don’t have a Facebook account will never be able to see your full profile. But they will be able to see a page similar to this:
You can determine what appears on this page if you check the corresponding boxes in the Settings / Privacy / Search options, like a button to send you a message or to befriend you:
4. Control the Usage Of Your Pictures In Ads By Facebook Or Third Parties
To this point, Facebook is not letting third party advertisers use your name or pictures for their advertisement, however, Facebook states that this might change in the future. If you look at the screen shot, you can secure your content by letting “No One” make usage of your information in Settings / Privacy / News Feed And Wall / Facebook Ads.
A different story are ads from Facebook itself. The so-called “Social Ads” are showing Facebook pages that might interest you. These Facebook ads also show who of your friends is a fan yet. If you wish not to appear as a fan of a certain page to your friends, scroll down to the bottom of the page and check “No One” in the “Show” box:
5. Group Your Facebook Friends
This feature has been around for a while now but not too many people take advantage of it. Probably because it takes some time to configure and the button for creating friends lists is hidden on your home page.
Let’s say you’re friends with your coworkers and don’t want them to see last weekend’s pictures other friends post about you? No problem. Create a list named ‘coworkers’ with all of your workmates and exclude this list of people in the Settings / Privacy / Profile section. Here’s how you do it:
On your home page, locate the “News Feed” section on the left. Expand it by clicking on “More” if necessary and “Create a new List“.
Now you can name your new group and select the people you wish to be included from your friends list. Finally, click on “Save“.
In Settings / Privacy / Profile, click on “Photo Tagged Of You” and choose the “Customize“. In the box below you can enter several friends or, to make it easier, the list you’ve just created:
