How to Fix Your Facebook Settings

published 1 August 2010

Recent changes to Facebook's unwieldy privacy settings promise to make it easier to control who sees what, but it's still a work in progress. The newest privacy settings (under "Account") offer simplified choices for sharing content you post (such as status updates) and the content that others post about you (such as "tagging" you in a photo). One-click options for "everyone," "friends of friends" or 'friends only" let you choose your level of privacy for content that you can share. The default for new accounts is a combination of the three levels. Or you can customize each setting.

Unfortunately, the simplicity ends there. You must choose seven directory-information settings to restrict who can search for you and what they can see (the default setting is "everyone"). And you're not done yet: You should also set preferences for applications and Web sites that can access your information. For example, the "public search" feature creates a listing for you on search engines unless you disable it.

Some content will always be public: your name, gender, profile picture and networks. To see how your profile appears to others, go to your account privacy settings. Then, under "Basic Directory Information," select "View Settings" and click "Preview My Profile." For more information on the new settings, go to www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php.

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Regardless of the settings, it's best to self-filter, says Murray Jennex, information security professor at San Diego State University. The site could eventually change the settings, be sold or go bankrupt, he says, and "at some point the content could be viewed by anyone."

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Anderson has been with Kiplinger since January 2004, when she joined the staff as a reporter. Since then, she's covered the gamut of personal finance issues—from mortgages and credit to spending wisely—and she heads up Kiplinger's annual automotive rankings. She holds a BA in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the 2012 president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and serves on its board of directors. In 2014, she was selected for the North American Car and Truck Of the Year jury. The awards, presented at the Detroit Auto Show, have come to be regarded as the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. because they involve no commercial tie-ins. The jury is composed of nationally recognized journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, who are selected on the basis of audience reach, experience, expertise, product knowledge, and reputation in the automotive community.