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Understanding Facebook's Privacy Settings and How They Work

Facebook offers several layers of privacy controls that let you decide who sees your posts, photos, and personal information. These settings exist because Facebook collects data about users, and you have choices about what you share and with whom. The guide explains how these controls function and what each one does.

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Your profile visibility is one of the most basic privacy controls. You can choose whether your profile appears in search results, whether strangers can message you, and who can see your friend list. Facebook's default settings often allow more visibility than many users realize. For example, unless you change your settings, people who aren't your friends may be able to see your profile picture, cover photo, and some basic information like your work history or education.

Post-level privacy controls let you decide who sees each piece of content you share. When you create a post, you can choose between "Public" (anyone on or off Facebook), "Friends" (only people you've added as friends), "Friends except..." (friends minus certain people), or "Specific people" (only chosen individuals). Many users set one default but don't realize they can change it for individual posts. The guide walks through how to adjust these settings and explains what each option means in practical terms.

Understanding past activity matters too. Facebook stores information about what you've posted, liked, and commented on over time. The guide explains how to view your activity history and understand what information remains visible on your profile. Some users discover that posts from years ago are still visible because their privacy settings were different when they posted them.

Practical takeaway: Review your profile privacy settings by visiting your settings menu and checking the "Privacy" section. Set your default post privacy to "Friends" unless you specifically want public visibility. Then review several of your recent posts to see what privacy level each one currently has.

Controlling Who Can Contact You and See Your Information

Beyond what people can see, Facebook allows you to control how people contact you. These settings determine whether strangers can message you, tag you in posts, or add you as a friend. Understanding these controls helps prevent unwanted contact and protects your sense of security on the platform.

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Message filtering works in layers. You can limit who can send you messages to friends only, which means messages from non-friends go to a separate "Message Requests" folder rather than your main inbox. This doesn't prevent people from contacting you, but it does prevent their messages from appearing in your primary message list. You also can block specific people entirely, which prevents them from messaging you, seeing your profile, or adding you as a friend.

Friend request controls let you decide whether everyone can add you as a friend or only friends of friends. Some users set this to "friends of friends" to reduce unwanted friend requests from strangers. You also can review pending friend requests before accepting them. The guide explains how Facebook's algorithm sometimes suggests people as friends and how you can ignore those suggestions.

Tag controls matter because other people can tag you in their posts and photos. By default, tags appear on your profile and in your timeline. However, you can adjust your settings so that tags need your approval before they appear. You also can review past tags and remove yourself from posts you don't want associated with your profile. Some users find that they're tagged in photos from events or gatherings they attended but don't want featured on their timeline.

App and website connections represent another contact point. Many websites and apps let you log in using your Facebook account, and these integrations may request permission to see your information. The guide covers how to review which apps have access to your Facebook data and how to remove permissions you no longer want.

Practical takeaway: Go to your privacy settings and set "Who can send you friend requests?" to "Everyone" or "Friends of Friends" based on your preference. Then check your "Apps and Websites" section to see which apps currently have access to your account, and remove any you no longer use.

Managing Data Collection and What Facebook Knows About You

Facebook collects information beyond what you directly share. The platform tracks your activity across Facebook and Instagram, collects data from websites you visit that have Facebook buttons or pixels, and gathers information about your device, location, and browsing habits. Understanding this data collection helps explain why you see certain advertisements or recommendations.

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Facebook's tracking extends beyond the platform itself. When you visit websites that have a Facebook "Like" button, Facebook's pixel code on that page records your visit, even if you don't click the button. This technology helps Facebook understand your interests and browsing behavior. Similarly, when you use your Facebook login to access other websites or apps, Facebook receives information about what you did on those services. The guide explains this concept and how it contributes to Facebook's understanding of your interests.

Your device information represents another data stream. Facebook collects details about your phone or computer, including your operating system, browser type, device identifiers, and sometimes your location based on GPS, Bluetooth, or IP address information. This data helps Facebook deliver content and ads tailored to your device type and location.

Facebook's "Off-Facebook Activity" tool shows you some of the websites and apps that have sent information about you to Facebook. You can view this data and turn on a setting that limits how much information these off-Facebook activities contribute to your ads profile. However, this doesn't prevent data collection—it only limits how that data is used for targeting. The guide explains this distinction because many users misunderstand what this tool does.

Your ad preferences section shows you information about why you're seeing specific advertisements. Facebook categorizes you based on your age, location, interests, and behaviors. You can review these categories and remove ones that don't represent you accurately. For example, if Facebook thinks you're interested in camping gear but you've never expressed that interest, you can remove that from your profile.

Practical takeaway: Visit your "Settings and Privacy" menu and find "Your Information." Review your "Off-Facebook Activity" to see what websites have shared data about you. Then visit "Ad Preferences" to review the interests Facebook has assigned to you and remove any that are inaccurate.

Protecting Your Account from Unauthorized Access

Account security goes hand-in-hand with privacy. If someone gains unauthorized access to your account, they can see all your private information, send messages on your behalf, and damage your relationships with friends and family. The guide covers concrete steps to reduce the risk that your account will be compromised.

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Strong passwords form the foundation of account security. A strong password for Facebook should be at least 12 characters long, include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoid common words or personal information like your name or birthday. Many security experts recommend using a password manager, which generates and stores strong passwords for different websites. The guide explains why password reuse is risky—if one website gets hacked and your password is exposed, someone can use that same password to access your Facebook account and everything connected to it.

Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of protection. With two-factor authentication enabled, logging into Facebook requires not just your password but also a code from your phone. Facebook offers several two-factor methods: SMS (text message codes), authentication apps like Google Authenticator, or security keys (physical devices). Authentication apps and security keys are considered more secure than SMS because they can't be intercepted the same way text messages can be. The guide walks through how to set up each method.

Login notifications and alerts help you notice unauthorized access. When you enable notifications, Facebook sends you an alert whenever someone logs into your account from a new device or location. If you see a login alert you don't recognize, you can immediately secure your account by changing your password and reviewing what activity occurred. The guide explains how to read these alerts and respond appropriately.

Trusted contacts represent an additional safeguard. You can designate 3-5 trusted friends who can help you regain access if you're locked out of your account. If you forget your password or someone changes it, you can ask these contacts for help regaining access. This prevents someone with access to your email from permanently locking you out.

Reviewing connected accounts and sessions helps you spot unwanted access. Your settings show all devices currently logged into your Facebook account. If you see a device or location you don't recognize, you can log it out immediately. Similarly, you can review which apps and websites are connected to your account and remove ones you no longer use.

Practical takeaway: Change your Facebook password to something 12+ characters with mixed types of characters. Then enable two-factor authentication by going to "Settings and Privacy," selecting "Settings