Facebook offers many opportunities to network with others, but security often falls by the wayside and data protection therefore requires clear measures.
Facebook data protection – optimize privacy settings
Data protection on Facebook starts with the right privacy settings. When set up correctly, you control who can see your posts and how much of your profile is public.
- Adjust friend lists and visibility: Go to privacy settings and make sure your posts are only visible to friends or close contacts. Choose who has access to your data and limit public access.
- Enable profile verification: Enable Profile Verification to control what content is visible on your timeline before it's published.
- Limit visibility of old posts: Check the visibility of your old posts and limit them to “Friends Only” to prevent strangers from browsing your past activity.
Minimize data sharing – control apps and third parties
Many users forget that third-party apps can also access their data via Facebook. Therefore, check regularly which apps are connected to your account.
- Remove apps and websites: Go to Settings > Apps and websites and remove unnecessary third-party apps that you no longer use. These applications often have unnecessary access to your personal information.
- Restrict data use for advertising purposes: Under “Advertising Settings” you can control whether Facebook uses your data for personalized advertising. To protect your information and not share your activity with advertising, disable this option.
- Manage activity outside of Facebook: Facebook also collects data from websites and apps that are used outside of Facebook. Restrict this collection under “Activity outside of Facebook.”