How Do I Make My Facebook Profile Info Private?

Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends around the world, learn new recipes or crafts, know what is trending around the globe, or just decompress after a stressful day. It's a way to stay connected even when you are miles apart; however, you want to make sure your information is as secure as possible.

With increased activity among online scammers, Facebook can become a treasure trove for potential criminals to get your information that they can later use to scam you or others. How do you make your Facebook profile information private? You can follow the steps below or contact Facebook here for more information and assistance.

How to Set Your Privacy Settings:

1. Open your Facebook page and click on the circle containing a down arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Select "Settings and Privacy" and choose "Settings" from the options provided.
3. Select "Privacy" in the menu on the left-hand side of your screen.
4. This will open the privacy menu where you can set privacy for the following:

• Your Activity: Here you can set the audience you wish to see your posts. To set the audience, select "Edit" and set your preference. Options include "Only Me," "Friends," "Friends of Friends," or "Public." You can also set custom settings to block certain individuals from seeing your posts. In this section, you can also set who can see the people, pages and lists you currently follow.
• How People Find and Contact You: Here you can set the parameters of how you are found in general searches, who can send you friend requests, and if you want outside search engines to find your profile.
• How You Get Message Requests: In this section, you can designate who can message you in your regular chat window, and those messages you want to be sent to your "Message Request" window. This helps cut down on spam in your message inbox.

Additional privacy setting options available:

1. Face Recognition: Do you want Facebook to recognize you in photos and videos?
2. Profile and Tagging: Who can view your profile, who can tag you in posts, do you want to be notified when someone tags you so you can approve or deny it being placed on your page?
3. Public Posts: This is where you can set who can follow you, who can comment on your posts, and who can like and comment on your profile picture.
4. Blocking: In this link, you can review your "Blocked" list of individuals you wish to have no contact with. If anyone on this list tries to find your profile, they will not be able to see anything you post.
5. Location: Do you want Facebook to track your location on your mobile device? If no, this is where you can set that parameter.

When setting up your Facebook page, you want to safeguard your information as much as possible. Be aware, certain items will always be visible to the public such as profile pictures and cover pictures. Never put information such as address, driver's license number, credit card information or social security number anywhere on your Facebook profile. For more information, contact Facebook here to learn about additional privacy settings.