Report
Northwestern / Nov. 7, 2007 at 12:20 am

A guide to keeping your profile private

Concerned about what people can see on your Facebook profile? Here’s how to stay in control.

Or, take it from them.

Following Facebook’s growing popularity and the resulting overuse of user information, Facebook senior product manager Ezra Callahan posted a warning on the company’s blog on Feb. 15. He warned about the following “questionable” behaviors that are beyond the reach of Facebook’s privacy-protecting capabilities.

1. Posting phone numbers on group and event Walls. It’s an effective way to give your number to your friends, but it’s also a good way to give it to people you don’t know.

Lots of people create groups on Facebook about lost mobile phones. In theory, these are an easy and efficient way to recover a lot of lost numbers. In reality, with people posting their phone numbers on the group Wall, these groups provide an unfortunate example of people putting private information into the public realm.

The stuff you post in global groups and events can be visible to anyone on Facebook. If you get invited to a group or event about a lost phone, by all means, give your friend your number, but use a Facebook message.

2. Accepting random friend requests. Friending is a privacy setting on Facebook. That sounds weird, but it’s true – when you become friends with someone, you’re exposing your whole profile to them.

Now it’s not like you’ve got your social security number in your profile or anything, but it’s still a good idea to think about whom you let see your information. We never tell people when you reject a friend request, so you shouldn’t feel bad about declining those from people you don’t really know.

3. Sharing your password. Imagine the horror of logging in to your account and seeing all your photos removed, your profile info wiped out, your friend list emptied, your messages deleted – all by an angry ex or a hurt friend. It’s not a pretty picture.

Telling your significant other or best friend your Facebook password may seem like a safe thing to do, but passwords are meant to be private for a very good reason. Every day, our Customer Support team receives emails from people who get betrayed by someone that knows their Facebook login info. Don’t let this happen to you.

4. Posting pictures of people doing illegal stuff. We hate to see stories about people getting busted for stuff they post on Facebook. But a little bit of common sense can go a long way when it comes to posting photographic evidence of an infraction or crime.

Under 21? Probably best not to post a picture of that keg stand from last weekend. Not in Amsterdam? Probably better to keep pictures of any illegal substances off Facebook. Not a big fan of wearing clothes? Probably worth leaving out the full frontal shots.”

Advertisement

Comments

  1. Or another option can just be to remove the account all together. Is it just me, or does anyone else smell a crime here. Say your employer wants to view your account information to, you know, check up on you. They’re hiring for a new position and want to make sure your “Social Enough”. So either

    A) They demand you release your account information to them, your password and login.

    B) In a sinister and immoral fashion, go through the blocks, and view private information anyways even though you trusted facebook when they said private information will remain private if you wish.

    As far as I see, there seems to be nothing against either one of these methods, because the actions can be justified as “Necessary”. Please tell me, why after hundreds of years of master and apprentice relationships, does the need suddenly arise to spy into someones personal life and the many other very unserious things that go along with it. This is not right, infact, it’s discrimination. It’s no different than refusing to hire someone, or firing them, because of race, or religion. “Well we want social people.” That may be, but I’m sorry, viewing this content doesn’t help that cause. Automatically, whatever comes up on that page is going to become the sole basis on what an individual is judged on. Many of that information isn’t entirely serious, as such thing as comedy exists where friends joke with eachother and have a good time. So you’re being judged and discriminated against, based off of lets say how many friends you have, what life you live, how social you appear to be. Shouldn’t these all be determined on how you dedicate yourself to your career? Everyone should have the same opportunity, no matter what your personal life shows. What you do at your job, and infront of your employer should be the only basis on how your character is judged. Sure, maybe there are truths on there that perhaps other people “should” know. However, unfortunately, I ticked the privacy option, my information should remain private unless requested via warrant from “A government offical”. Now, if employers can attain legal warrants to view this content, I dont know what country we live in, but it certainly isn’t America.

    Eric

    October 19, 2009 at 8:30 am

Leave a Comment

Read our comment policy