IF YOU’RE worried about your Facebook account falling into the wrong hands, there are a few easy ways to protect it.
There are three changes in particular that you can make to secure the app and protect your privacy.
1
Get alerts about unrecognised logins and add two-factor
Go into Settings and then look for the security section.
Then go to Get Alerts About Unrecognised Logins.
Facebook will warn you if someone logs in from a device or browser you don’t usually use.
Then you can check your account and log out any suspicious app sessions.
You’ll be able to see who is logging in from where, and on what device.
So if there’s something you don’t recognise, scrub the session from your account – shutting any potential intruders out.
If someone has been able to access your account, consider changing your password as a priority.
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And add two-factor authentication to verify any logins with a text message – for even greater security.
Remember: someone accessing your Facebook account could prove very costly.
They could glean significant amounts of information that could be used to hack other accounts.
Or they could pose as you to defraud your immediate family, potentially rinsing the joint coffers.
They could even snoop on your private messages and potentially blackmail or extort you or loved ones.
Turn off Facebook location history
Location History is a controversial daily log of where you’ve been logged by Facebook’s iOS and Android apps.
The data is stored on a digital map that can be viewed through your Facebook settings.
It shows what shops and other businesses Facebook believes you have visited, as well as periods where you’re thought to have been “on the move”.
Your Location History is buried deep within your settings. You can access it through Facebook’s Android or iOS apps, or via your desktop browser.
The setting can be turned off through Facebook’s website and apps and you have the option to delete your Location History if you wish.
Among other things, Facebook uses your GPS coordinates to better tailor the ads that it shows you.
Location History is being wiped by Facebook as part of a privacy overhaul, but you can still view your history up until August 1, 2022.
- Open the Facebook app and tap the bottom right icon
- Tap Settings and privacy, then tap Settings.
- Below Your information, tap Access your information.
- Tap Logged information.
- Below Location, tap Location history. You may be asked to re-enter your password.
You can turn your Location history on or off by tapping the blue slider. You can also delete your history.
Use encryption
If you use Facebook Messenger, you can activate encryption to boost your security.
Encryption is a way to make messages more private.
Every encrypted missive is jumbled up in transit – and only the sender and recipient have the keys to unlock it.
Even Facebook can’t read an encrypted Messenger text.
You can even encrypt voice or video calls on Messenger for even better security.
Just go into the settings on a specific Messenger conversation to enable encryption.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
