Facebook Information

In a few days we'll be removing an old Facebook setting you've used in the past. You'll see an announcement on Facebook and have several chances to learn about this before then. We just wanted to tell you about this in advance so you have time to review what's changing and understand your privacy options.

What's changing: We're removing an old search setting called "Who can look up your Timeline by name"—but this won't change who can see what you've shared on Facebook.

What did this setting do? "Who can look up your Timeline by name" controlled who could find your Timeline by typing your name in search.

What will happen when the setting is removed? Anyone will be able to look up your Timeline by your name — but if they go to your Timeline, they'll only see what they already have permission to see. Removing this setting doesn't change who can see your photos, status updates or other things you've shared.

Why is Facebook removing this setting? When we created this setting, the only way to find you on Facebook was to search for your specific name. Now, people can come across your Timeline in other ways: for example if a friend tags you in a photo, which links to your Timeline, or if people search for phrases like "People who like The Beatles," or "People who live in Seattle," in Graph Search. Today, the best way to manage who sees your stuff is to use your Privacy Shortcuts (just click the at the top of every page of the Facebook website), and to choose who to share with when you post new photos and updates.

What's next? You'll have more chances to review this info before the setting is removed—and we'll remind you on Facebook. Want to review your privacy choices now? Here are some things you can do: If you want to quickly limit the audience of things you've shared in the past to Friends, visit your privacy settings. Each time you share a photo, link or status update, you can set the privacy for that specific post. Check out what you've shared in the past—and who can see that info—by going to your activity log. To get to your activity log, click the at the top of any page to open your privacy shortcuts.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message and for being part of Facebook. The Facebook Team

Facebook

Lifehacker is reporting that Facebook is making everyone searchable.

"Facebook reminded people today that they're removing the "Who can look up your Timeline by name?" privacy setting, which means anyone can search for your profile on Facebook.

They started retiring this feature back in December of 2012, but according to Facebook's blog post today, the feature hasn't gone away for everyone just yet—but it will. That means your profile will be searchable again, so if you want to keep your information locked down, you should focus on what you post. It's very easy to limit your past posts so they don't show up to the public. We recommend giving all your privacy settings a once-over too, while you're at it. Hit the link to read more about the change.

Reminder: Finishing the Removal of an Old Search Setting | Facebook Newsroom"

To limit who can see your posts, go to the security settings (upper right hand corner, click on the little gear icon), then click on privacy settings.    Click on edit next to "Who can see my stuff  who can see your future posts".   Click on the level of security you want:

Who can see my stuff?

• Close

  Who can see your future posts?

  You can manage the privacy of things you share by using the audience selector right where you post. This control remembers your selection so future posts will be shared with the same audience unless you change it.

  What's on your mind?

  • Friends

    • Public
    • Friends
    • Friends except Acquaintances
    • Only Me
    • Custom
    • Close Friends
    • Family
    • See all lists...

    PublicFriendsFriends except AcquaintancesOnly MeCustomClose FriendsFamilySee all lists...North Muskegon, Michigan AreaHackley Public LibraryGR FriendsFamilyMuskegon FriendsBowdoinHS FriendsKids friendsGirl ScoutsLibrarianMisc  FriendsMaine FriendsLimited ProfileFruitport, Michigan AreaNorth Smithfield Jr. Sr. High SchoolWayne State UniversityBowdoin CollegeMuskegon Area District LibraryNorth Smithfield High SchoolAcquaintancesGo Back

Your choices are Public, Friends, Friends except acquaintances, only me, custom, close friends, family.  "Public" means anyone can see it, "only me" would mean only you could see it.  Find the level you are comfortable with and you should be all set.  You can also change individual posts when you make them if you want.

Facebook Introduces New, Uber-Simple Privacy Controls

From Lifehacker:
Facebook started rolling out a big change in the way it handles privacy today. Now, your settings are just a click or two away, and are easier to understand than ever, ensuring you have complete control over who sees your stuff.
The new settings are a nice change, offering two main features. Privacy Shortcuts offer you a simple way, from the Facebook toolbar, to change your settings using a few simple-English options like "Who Can See My Stuff?" or "Who Can Contact Me?" Facebook's also updated the Activity Log, making it easier for you to request the removal of new photos someone tags you in. You can just check the boxes next to all the photos you don't like and untag them with one click, or even send a message to your friend asking them to take the photos down.
Facebook's simplified app permissions this time around too, as well as more information throughout the site on how each feature works, and a search bar near your Privacy Shortcuts that let's you search the help menu. The way Timeline works is still a little confusing, but at least they're trying to make it easier to understand how it works.
Hit the link to read more about the settings, and head over to Facebook to see if they've shown up yet for you. If not, check back frequently, as it should be rolling out soon.
Better Controls for Managing Your Content | Facebook Newsroom

Delete Facebook Apps that Now Have Greater Access to Your Data [Privacy]

Delete Facebook Apps that Now Have Greater Access to Your Data [Privacy]: From LifeHacker:  "
At Facebook's f8 conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told developers that Facebook applications would no longer have to dump any data they've collected on you after 24 hours. If you've got apps installed that might have prying eyes, here's how to uninstall them.
Facebook seems to change up its interface, and its settings, every few months, so if you thought you knew the easy way to remove an application entirely before, you might want to take a quick refresher. Not all Facebook applications are out to mine your personal stats for nefarious gain, but if you've kept an app or two hanging around because you thought there wasn't much exposure, here's how ReadWriteWeb recommends you go about showing them the door:

1. Click on 'Account' at the top-right of the screen.
2. Click 'Application Settings'
3. Change the 'Show' drop-down box to 'Authorized.' This will show all the applications you've ever given permission to.
4. In the resulting list, click the 'X' button on the far right next to each app you want to remove to delete it.
5. On the pop-up box that appears, click 'Remove' then click 'Okay' on the next box confirming the app was deleted.

Which applications have you removed from your own Facebook account for privacy or access reasons? Tell us why in the comments.

How to Delete Facebook Applications (and Why You Should) [ReadWriteWeb]

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