How to Keep Safe on Facebook

Co-authored by Scott Nelson, JD

Last Updated: November 28, 2024

Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site in the world today with up to 250,000 new users being added every day. But sharing information has lots of risks including your name which can be accessed by others and your profile can be viewed. Anyone can get valuable information and private photos from your profile -- ultimately getting you in big trouble. You can keep your misfortunes down to a minimum by following these steps.

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By doing this, you will be able to have control who has access to your information and pictures. For certain pictures, you can also select certain friends that you do or do not want them to see. It's usually not a good idea to keep all your information public.

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You can see the tagged pictures of you by going to your profile, click on "Photos"- you should see "Photos of You" and the number of tagged pictures. Click on that, and look through the pictures. You should be able to un-tag any unappealing photos of you, but people still have the ability to see it. Don't hesitate for a second to "un-tag" yourself from pictures that you do not approve of. Simply click "Report/Remove Tag" under the "Options" on the bottom of the picture. Also if you think that the particular picture could put you in a compromising situation, consult whoever put it up and ask him or her to remove it immediately. If they are your so called pals they should comply with your request.
Don't be caught with drugs, especially if you're underage because anyone can just print out the picture and show it to your parents or principal.
you post if your coworkers, colleagues, or even your boss is friends with you. If possible, avoid sending out or accepting friend requests from those who know you from work, especially your boss. Granting them full access to view your personal life will only have negative effects on your job.
post information regarding an upcoming vacation or trip as your status. Doing so is just asking for your house to be robbed. If you must post photos and every detail of your two-week trip to France, do so after you return home, not before or during your vacation.
Don't make your password something obvious such as your birthday or favorite sport. Try to have at least one capital letter, one lowercase letter, two numbers, and a symbol. The longer and more complicated the password, the safer you are from getting your account hacked. Always remember to log out after you're finished with Facebook, especially on a shared computer.
The purpose of Facebook is to connect you with people you know. Making your profile public means you're sharing your information with everyone, even though you don't know them, a risk that you wouldn't want to take.
Don't friend anyone out of your state/country unless you know them pretty well. Only friend people you know. You can add mutual friends that you don't know if you want to, though not recommended. Make sure they are the correct person by looking through their pictures. If they are not familiar, then remove them as a friend by getting to your friend list. Block anyone who threatens or harasses you.
No matter how active you are, going through your children's posts, messages, photos, videos, comments is impossible. Remember: children have no right to privacy from their parents, but you don't necessarily need to view every post they make unless you have reason to be suspicious. You should have their passwords so you can see if they are getting into dangerous situations or are exhibiting inappropriate speech or behavior. You can, though, respect your children's individuality and take advantage of online Monitoring services. These services inform you on what you need to know in an easy to use platform. Some of these services offer monitoring for Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and cell phones; becoming your social shield against predators, Cyber-bullies, Reputation issues.
Before clicking on a link from Facebook, always remember to check the address bar, which should always display "www.facebook.com/" and nothing else like "www.facebook33.tk" or "www.facebook1.php", etc. which is a giveaway of a phisher. It can steal your e-mail and password, as well as post spam links to your friends' Walls.

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How much information is needed to set up an account?

Community Answer

The basics: first and last name, email, birthday and nationality. Facebook will press you to include other information like your city, education, job, etc., but that stuff isn't required.

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Is it safe for young children?

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If they are under eight or so, probably not, but if they are older and responsible enough, it might be okay. In their profile, just do not add their actual age or address, along with anything else you might think is unsafe for a child.

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How do I make it so that no one can use my photos?

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Sadly, you cannot do so. Like almost all social media sites, Facebook's terms and conditions of use mean that Facebook automatically owns the copyright of any photo you upload, and can use the photo for their own purposes free of charge (including distribution to media outlets). Facebook also automatically strips the metadata out of any photo you upload, meaning that you lose any copyright information you have entered into the metadata. You could try adding a visible watermark to your photos, though, so that you can quickly and easily identify them if they are used elsewhere.

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Facebook Tips and Tricks

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Remove anything you think is inappropriate. This could mean wall posts, images, or status. What you may have found funny last night might not be as funny the next morning.

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If someone is being intrusive, remember you can always report and block them.

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Never add any friend requests or suggestions from anyone that you do not know, or by someone who you know is a stalker, harasser, or bully. Remember some people can put false information and even a fake picture on. Be wary of who you add.

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Warnings

If a suspicious person talks to you and makes you feel uncomfortable, then do not respond. Instead, block them immediately. Show your parents and ask them what to do.

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If you ever get a friend request from someone you don't know, then be sure to show an adult.

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