Facebook Privacy Settings

Just this week, Facebook went live with a feature called Places.  It allows you to post to your wall your current location, or your friends location in a way that Facebook can manage separately from normal wall posts.  This feature on first appearance sounds kinda cool but if you think about it, you are giving up some privacy and giving Facebook information about your whereabouts that can be misused by people you don't even know.  To read more about the potential problems with sharing your location go here .

Everyone should review their Facebook privacy settings.  I would not recommend making ANYTHING visible to ANYONE except for maybe Bio and favorite quotations and perhaps your Website (which is already public) if you list one.  Everything else should be set to be visible to only Friends of Friends, or even better just Friends.  I would also recommend turning off the new Places/Check-in option.

The review your privacy settings and make changes to them, select Privacy Settings from the Account Menu option:

Review the chart and review closely anything under Everyone that has a dot in it.  There is no reason to have your Contact information available to Everyone. To make changes, select Customize Settings, below the chart

Unselect the Include me in "People Here Now" after I check in  option
For the Friends can check me in to Places option,  select Disabled from dropdown choices.
Be sure to select the Preview My Profile button to see what EVERYONE sees about you.

Return to Privacy Page and select Edit your settings under Applications and Websites:

Select the Edit Settings button next to Info accessible through your friends:

Unselect Places I check into and then select Save Changes:

On the Application, Games and Websites Privacy Settings page, Select the Edit Settings button next to Instant Personalization.
Unselect the Enable instant personalization on partner websites option, then select the Back to Application button

On the Application, Games and Websites Privacy Settings page, select the Edit Settings button next to Public Search.
Unselect Enable public search

If you understand the ramifications of allowing your information to be accessible to ANYONE or in web searches,  and are not concerned with strangers knowing your business, then by all means don't follow my advice. But if you are even a little uncertain, then turn these settings off!  You really don't have that much to gain by exposing your information and potentially a lot to lose!  If you have any questions or suggestions please write me or leave a comment on my blog