Your Facebook public profile info can be scraped for scams, impersonation or phishing, but with a few quick settings, you can lock things down and stay in control. Here’s how:
Limit Who Can See Your Posts:
– Go to ‘Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy’.
– Under ‘Your Activity’, set ‘Who can see your future posts?’ to ‘Friends’.
Review All Your Posts and Things You’re Tagged In:
– In Privacy Settings, click on ‘Limit Past Posts’ to change past public posts to friends only.
– Enable ‘Timeline Review’ and ‘Tag Review’ under ‘Profile and Tagging Settings’ to review posts you’re tagged in before they appear on your timeline.
Control Who Can Send You Friend Requests:
– Under ‘How People Find and Contact You’, set ‘Who can send you friend requests?’ to ‘Friends of friends’.
– Restrict Who Can Look You Up Using Your Email or Phone Number:
– Set ‘Who can look you up using the email address/phone number you provided?’ to ‘Friends’ or ‘Only me’.
Prevent Search Engines from Linking to Your Profile:
– Turn off ‘Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?’
Pro-Tip: Regularly review your privacy settings to ensure they reflect your current preferences. Facebook occasionally updates its settings, so it’s good practice to check them periodically.
