So here I was, about a month ago, ready to write an article about how to make your Facebook account air tight and secure.  In the past week or so, the stakes have changed and Facebook now has new privacy settings.  New, but not improved.  How would you like all of your information available on Google and Yahoo?  If you’re not careful, and don’t act immediately, you may find your life not to be as private as you want it to be…

One note before I continue:  I now use Facebook Lite.  It does away with all of the games, quizzes, and other “applications” that are not only annoying, they constitute a breach of privacy.  (More on that later.)  It is also more logically arranged: I can load one single page and read every post that I need to.  Posts from friends, and replies to posts and comments I have made, are all chronologically arranged.  This is far better than the “new” regular Facebook that arranges your posts into “news feeds” and “live feeds”, the logic of which defies explanation.

Now, back to my recent security update.

When I visited my security settings in Facebook, I was immediately greeted with this message:

“There have been misleading rumors recently about Facebook indexing all your information on Google. This is not true. Facebook created public search listings in 2007 to enable people to search for your name and see a link to your Facebook profile.”

Yes, it’s true that Facebook opened their system up for Google indexing back in 2007.   What this notice fails to tell you is that they changed the option to allow your information to be indexed!

First of all, about a week ago, I got wind of the changing of security settings in my Facebook account.  At first I wrote it off as some uneducated paranoia from some Facebook rumors among the membership.  Until I went and looked at my security settings.

Not only had they removed at least a dozen security settings (thereby removing my ability to prohibit access to some account details), they changed some of my settings to “friends of friends” or, worse, “Everyone”…meaning the whole fucking internet!

Smart move, Facebook, now I can’t trust you as far as I can throw you.

Today, I’m alerted to another breach of security which, fortunately, I caught during my account sweep to reset everything Facebook had changed without my permission.  This is under Security Settings -> Search.  You will see a section called “Public Search Results”.  To the right is a checkbox labeled “Allow Indexing”.  Make sure that this box is unchecked.  Many users are finding that it is now checked.

If you don’t uncheck the magic box, your entire profile, along with the names of your friends in your friends list, is publicly available.

I spent a lot of time and money keeping my own name off of the internet.  I certainly don’t need the likes of Facebook spreading it around for the world to see.  I don’t know what their ulterior motive is in resetting our privacy settings, but I’m sure it is related to advertising.

As much as I like the “reconnection” aspect of Facebook, they have betrayed my trust.  It won’t take much more to get me to disconnect myself completely from Facebook.

My job here is to give a friendly warning to everyone.  Follow my own example and you’ll have a safer, more private Facebook experience:

1. Immediately go to the “Regular” Facebook and enter your privacy settings.  Make sure all of your settings are “Only Friends” or, if that is not available, at least choose “Friends of Friends.”  Never choose “Everyone”!
2. Go to your Applications settings.  Delete everything that is not a Facebook application.
3. If someone sends you an invitation for anything, delete it!  That includes quizzes, games, greeting cards, family tree applications, you name it.  When you agree to install these applications, you are also agreeing to let them use your information, and the information of your Facebook friends, in their application.
4. Check your security settings often.  Should Facebook decide to change their system again, you want to catch it early on.

If all else fails, cancel your Facebook account.  If you must use Facebook, consider changing your name, or sign up using an assumed name.  If they won’t protect your personal information, then feed them false information to begin with.  In seeking out friends, tell them in a private message who you are.   Fill in as few profile details as possible, and never post any photos of yourself or your family or friends.  If someone tags you in a photo, untag yourself if possible, or request that they do this for you.

Stay safe!