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How to Use Facebook Privacy Settings

Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

Facebook reorganized the privacy settings in its mobile app in August, eliminating the "Privacy" tab and sorting the controls into six broad categories such as "Account" and "Audience and Visibility." Facebook says it based the change on research into where users expect to find the settings. But the move spurred criticism from privacy advocates, who argue Facebook's already confusing settings will now be even harder to navigate.

The redesign has hit the app and the mobile browser version of Facebook, but the settings are still where they used to be if you log on from a computer browser. Below, you'll find details on the most important controls, with step-by-step instructions for where to find them using a computer.

Facebook points to its privacy settings as a solution for consumers worried about their data—but most of those settings will only safeguard your information from other users. However, some Facebook settings do affect how the platform gathers and uses your personal data. And we've found a few outside tools you can use to limit Facebook’s tracking, as well.

Below, you’ll find instructions on how to:

"Clear" the Data Facebook Gets From Tracking You Around the Web

Facebook collects a lot of data about you when you’re not even on Facebook. Hundreds of thousands of apps, websites, and other services send the company reams of information about what you’re doing on other parts of the internet—and sometimes even what you’re up to in the real world.

For a peek behind the curtain, the Off-Facebook Activity menu will give you a look at some of that data.

It houses the Clear History button, which, despite the name, doesn’t actually delete anything. Instead, it “disconnects” the data from your account, preventing the company from using it for targeted ads.

Facebook keeps a copy of that information, and will continue to use it for analytics reports provided to other websites and detailed performance measurements for the company’s advertising clients.

You’ll also find a Manage Future Activity setting, which essentially lets you keep your history cleared by default. After you turn it off, other companies will keep sending Facebook information about you. But again, Facebook says that the data won’t be used to target you with ads.

There’s a major caveat. Turning off Future Activity disables the Facebook Login tool that lets you sign into other apps and websites using your Facebook credentials. Or you can go through a list one-by-one and disable Future Off-Facebook Activity for specific services where you don’t need Facebook Login.

On a computer: Click the down arrow in the top right of the Facebook home page > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts > View or clear your off-Facebook activity.

From there, you can hit the Clear History button. To prevent the data from being used for targeted ads in the future, tap Manage Future Activity on the right-hand side, hit the Manage Future Activity button on the next screen, and then switch off the toggle.

Keep Your Location to Yourself

When you use the Facebook mobile app, whether you’re scrolling through your news feed, tagging a family photo on the Golden Gate Bridge, or just leaving the app idling in the background, the company can collect data about your location to use for targeting ads.

The most accurate source of location data can be controlled through your device’s location services settings. Adjusting that won’t stop the company from accessing your location entirely, though. Facebook admits it uses information such as your network connection to approximate your whereabouts for advertising purposes. But if you revoke the Facebook app’s location permission, the data available to the company will be less precise.

On an iPhone: Go to the phone’s Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Facebook. Then click either “While Using the App” or “Never.”

On an Android phone: Go to the phone’s Settings > Location > App access to location > Facebook > Select “Allow only while using the app” or “Deny.” (These instructions may vary slightly depending on what phone you have. On older phones, check for a Permissions menu.)

Only the newest version of Android provides the “Only while using the app” option. Users with older Android phones can access a location setting in the Facebook app itself to get the same effect. Find a Background Location setting in the Location menu under Privacy Shortcuts.

Turn Off Facial Recognition

In 2017 Facebook promised a privacy setting to let users delete facial recognition data the company has collected and opt out of any systems that use the technology. Almost 18 months later, a Consumer Reports investigation found that some users never received the setting.

The Federal Trade Commission cited our findings in July 2019 in its announcement of a multifaceted settlement against Facebook that included a $5 billion fine. The FTC’s complaint against the company revealed that the setting had been missing for about 30 million users.

Facebook announced a fix that September, and a company spokeswoman later confirmed that the setting was finally rolled out to all affected accounts.

Facebook says facial recognition is a useful tool for tagging friends in photos and other features, such as spotting fake accounts. According to a Facebook spokesperson, the company isn’t selling facial recognition data or using it for targeted ads.

But privacy experts say there are other ways that biometric data could eventually be used. “Facebook has invested a lot in facial recognition,” says Justin Brookman, the director of consumer privacy and technology policy for Consumer Reports, “and it’s exploring ways to get a return on that investment.”

Here’s how to turn Face Recognition off for good.

On a computer: Click the down arrow in the top right of the Facebook home page > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts > Control face recognition > Edit > No.

Limit Data Collection by Facebook's 'Partners'

The Facebook Login feature is a quick and easy way to sign in to other websites and apps. But as described above, Facebook gets to collect a bit more of your personal data in exchange. It can also give the companies that provide those outside services access to account info, which can include your name, photo, email address, and other data visible to the public by default such as your likes and comments.

After the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal where user data may have been siphoned for targeted political ads, Facebook withdrew this access from any third-party app that users hadn’t logged in to for 90 days, eliminating one source of illicit data collection.

It may be impossible to find and delete personal info harvested by other companies in the past, but you can see which apps are currently collecting data from your account and stop them. You will no longer be able to access these apps using your Facebook Login, so you may want to create a new log-in and password for each app before making changes.

On a computer: Click the down arrow in the top right of the Facebook home page > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites > Active > Click on the box next to the app’s name > Remove.

Protect Your Account From Hackers

It’s a good idea to use two-factor authentication, also called multifactor authentication, to bolster the password on any account that offers it. This is particularly important if you’ve ever used the same password on more than one account or you tend to use subpar passwords. (Consumer Reports has expert tips for creating good passwords.)

Once you turn on two-factor authentication in Facebook’s settings, the company will send you a verification code—via text or app—to confirm your identity when you access your account from an unverified location, device, or browser.

That makes it much harder for someone to breach your account with a stolen password.

But Facebook has misused this technology. After an investigation, Facebook admitted the company uses phone numbers collected for two-factor authentication for advertising purposes.

Security experts still recommend that you use two-factor authentication, however, because it’s one of the best ways to protect your account. You don’t have to give Facebook your phone number to use two-factor authentication, either—a dedicated app such as Google Authenticator or Duo Mobile can be a more private and secure solution. It’s easy to set up.

If Facebook already has your phone number, follow the instructions in the section below so that strangers can’t use it to find your page.

On a computer: Go to Settings > Security and Login > Set Up two-factor authentication > Get Started.

Make Your Account Harder to Find

The default settings on Facebook permit your user profile to show up in any Google search that includes your name. But you can change the settings to make your profile less Google-able. And while you’re at it, you can also set limits on who can send you friend requests and look you up using the email address or phone number tied to your account.

On a computer: Go to Settings > Privacy > “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” > Edit > Click the check box on the bottom > Turn Off.

Then on the same page, select “Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?” > Only me. Then do the same for “Who can look you up using the email address you provided?”

Limit Who Sees Your Profile, Photos, and Posts

It can be fun to share the details of your life with family members and friends, but it’s less amusing to serve up that data to criminals who comb Facebook pages for personal details to use in identity-theft scams. If you leave your info open to the public, anyone can discover your birth date, mother’s maiden name, and passion for poodles.

Each time you post a new photo, video, or status update, Facebook’s interface gives you the option to keep the news among your friends. You can even exclude certain pals, like, say, your boss or that nosy neighbor.

That’s a good practice going forward, but it’s easy to go back to your old posts and limit the audience retroactively. That way, you can make certain you’re not sharing telltale details with people you don’t know. While you’re at it, you can change the default audience so that your future posts are more private automatically.

On a computer: Go to Settings > Privacy > “Who can see your future posts?” > Edit. Then on the same page, hit “Limit The Audience for Old Posts on Your Timeline.”

Take a Little Control Over Targeted Ads

There isn’t much you can do to keep your information out of Facebook’s marketing services altogether. But the company does offer a bit of control over certain aspects of the Facebook ad system.

There are three settings worth thinking about. The first is “Data about your activity from partners.” The specifics are complicated, but the bottom line is that if you turn the setting off, Facebook says it will avoid using some of the data it gets about what you do on other companies’ websites and services for its own ads.

The second is “Ads shown off of Facebook.” Facebook doesn’t just show you ads on Facebook; the company’s ad system runs all over the internet and in apps. The “Ads shown off of Facebook” setting determines whether advertisers can use information based on your Facebook activity to target you on other platforms.

Finally, you’ve probably seen Facebook ads that list your friends’ names: “So-and-so likes . . .” That’s because Facebook lets advertisers use your name and products you “like”—Girl Scout cookies, Starbucks coffee, Ford trucks—in ads pitched to people in your network. You can turn off the “Social Interactions” setting to put a stop to it.

On a computer: Go to Settings > Ads > Ad Settings > Select “Data about your activity from partners,” and turn the toggles off. Then do the same for “Ads shown off of Facebook” and “Social Interactions.”

(Facebook has recently been rolling out updates to its advertising settings. The last few instructions may be slightly different on some accounts, but these steps will be close enough that you should be able to find your way.)

Avoid Ads on Sensitive Subjects

You can’t turn off Facebook ads, but you can choose to avoid ads on a few select topics. You can tell Facebook you want to see fewer ads related to alcohol, parenting, pets, social issues, elections, and politics. The company doesn’t guarantee you’ll never see ads related to these subjects altogether, though.

There are additional ways you can adjust your social media feed for a healthier and more pleasant experience, too.

On a computer: Go to Settings > Ads > Ad Settings > Ad Topics > Click “See fewer” next to the subject you want to avoid.

Restrict Facebook From Tracking Your Activity on Other Websites

As we discussed above, Facebook's data collection doesn’t stop when you leave the platform. If you’ve ever gone to a website that uses Facebook services—Like and Share buttons, Facebook Login, or the company’s invisible analytics tools—you’ve provided info on the stories you’ve read, the videos you’ve watched, and the products you’ve looked at.

“If those buttons are on the page, regardless of whether you touch them, Facebook is collecting data,” says Casey Oppenheim, co-founder of the digital security firm Disconnect.

Millions of websites also use Facebook's hidden tracking "pixels" that give you no visual clue you're being monitored. There’s no foolproof way to stop that surveillance—and no way at all through Facebook’s settings. You can, however, install an ad blocking extension such as Disconnect, Ublock, or Privacy Badger on your browser to disrupt Facebook’s efforts to track you online.

The Mozilla Foundation, the nonprofit organization behind the Firefox browser, has designed an ad blocker specifically for this task. It’s called Facebook Container, and it uses a unique browser tab to wall the social media platform off from the rest of your online activity.

It takes only a few clicks to install the Facebook Container extension. The directions are easy to find online.

(Consumer Reports uses Facebook’s services, too. For details on the data we collect, consult our privacy policy.)

Decide Who Can Message You

When someone you aren’t friends with tries to contact you, their messages generally get sent to a “message requests” folder.

You won’t get a notification about these messages, and Facebook lets you read them without telling the other person you’ve taken a look. That gives you a little preview before you decide to open up a dialog.

However, you can decide not to receive these messages at all. Or you can go in the other direction with some kinds of connections, and have messages open up straight to a regular chat. Since the company combined the messaging platforms on Instagram and Facebook Messenger, there are also some options for communicating with Instagram followers you haven’t friended on Facebook.

Facebook allows for some fine-tuning. You can make specific choices for different categories of people, such as friends of friends.

On a browser: Go to Settings > Privacy > Under “How You Get Message Requests,” and tap the various potential connections and choose how you want to be contacted.

Protect Your Privacy on Facebook's Siblings

Adjusting your Facebook settings is a great first step toward protecting your privacy. But the apps on your phone and the services you use online unite to form an entire data ecosystem, and you should take the whole picture into account.

If you use other services that Facebook owns, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, lock down your settings on those products, too. (And now that you’re on a roll, consider doing the same for other services, such as Google and even LinkedIn.)

Do a Little Crowd Control

The people on your friends list can jeopardize your privacy, sometimes without even knowing it.

While Facebook closed the policy loophole that allowed the 2014 data leak that led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, there are plenty of other ways friends can let you down—by posting inappropriate content, for example, or falling for scams that permit accounts to be hacked.

That’s why it’s best not to maintain Facebook “friendships” with people you don’t really know (e.g., your best friend’s sister’s tai chi instructor). Facebook doesn’t make it easy to delete large groups of friends. You have to go to your Facebook profile, select people to dismiss one at a time, hover over a drop-down menu, and choose “Unfriend.”

To make the process a little easier, consider using the “birthday method.” When you log in to Facebook, check the birthday notifications the app has sent you, and for each one decide whether to send out well wishes or to quietly unfriend people you’re willing to part with. This can help you keep your account more secure.

How Targeted Ads Work

Do you often see online ads that relate to your likes and hobbies? On the “Consumer 101” TV show, Consumer Reports expert Thomas Germain explains to host Jack Rico what targeted ads are and how they work.

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