Social media platforms like Facebook are regularly under fire for not doing enough to protect users’ privacy. Many platforms claim they collect data to serve targeted ads and that your information isn’t at risk. Do you believe that?
Facebook scams have always been a problem, and some users have even had their accounts hacked and taken over. Tap or click here to find out how to take back your account. In some instances, these nefarious actions could have been avoided or at least made more difficult if the correct settings had been implemented.
And that is exactly what Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is now trying to do. Read on to find out if its new Privacy Center will actually help.
Here’s the backstory
Facebook isn’t exactly the epitome of the safekeeping of user data. The social media giant has been accused on numerous occasions of playing fast and loose with the very data that users expect to remain private.
But while the company has used sensitive data to bolster its business plans, it now wants you to know exactly what is collected, how it is used and what you can do about it. In a recent blog post, Facebook revealed that it created Privacy Center, a one-stop location to learn more about its approach.
Currently, Privacy Center is only available to a few desktop users. It is slowly being made available to more Facebook users, and eventually, its mobile app, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see it right away.
The theme of Privacy Center is that you have a dedicated place to review security and privacy settings without having to search around on the platform.
What you can do about it
Privacy Center has been divided into what Facebook calls modules, “each containing guides and controls related to a common privacy topic.” Here are the five modules you can find in Privacy Center:
- Security
This is the main section that deals with your account’s security. This is where you can set up two-factor authentication (2FA), and how the company protects you.
- Sharing
In this part of the Privacy Center, you can set who can see your content, restrict access to certain people and how to clean up old posts.
- Collection
Data collection forms a big part of Meta’s strategy. This section explains what data is collected and how to access your copy.
- Use
This section fleshes out how and why Meta collects your data and offers some controls to manage its access.
- Ads
Another big part of Meta’s business plan is advertising. This is what generates revenue for the company. This portion explains how your information is used to display relevant ads to you. There are also controls to set up your ad preferences.
To check if you have access to Privacy Center, open Facebook on your computer and click the down arrow in the top right. Then click Settings and Privacy. It is only available on the desktop version for now. Facebook explained that it would add more modules with time.
The method mentioned above is the only way in accessing it for now. But the company added that it will create shortcuts to the Privacy Center where questions might arise.
Creating awareness around privacy is always a good thing, but is it too little, too late for Facebook? Most likely, the answer is yes.
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