Soon, it will be easier to access your Facebook privacy settings and user data.
Facebook announced Wednesday it will update its privacy settings to make it easier for users to control what kind of personal information is shared on the social network and its related apps.
The social media giant said it heard “loud and clear” that Facebook privacy tools and other settings related to user data have been hard to find for many users. The company wants to change that.
Facebook said it will give users more control over their privacy and will roll-out these changes in the next few weeks.
The Facebook privacy update is a response to the Cambridge Analytica user-date scandal and subsequent backlash Mark Zuckerberg received after admitting more than 50 million users’ account data was shared with the British consulting company, which contributed to Trump’s victory during the 2016 presidential election.
A lot of the Facebook privacy changes have been in the works for some time, according to the social network, but the recent privacy scandal has forced the company to push these updates to the top of their lists.
Facebook privacy settings update: What to expect?
To make Facebook privacy settings more accessible to users, Facebook has redesigned their settings menu on mobile devices. In the previous version, settings were spread across almost 20 different screens, making it nearly impossible to get to your personal data settings to make necessary changes.
There is a new Privacy Shortcuts menu that will become available which will allow users to control their data with just a few taps when using a mobile device. The new Facebook privacy shortcuts will make it easier to revoke access to those third-party apps and add-ons that could be using your data.
In addition to making extremely important settings easier to find, Facebook says it will allow users more control over what is shared on the platform. Facebook claims it will be easier to see all the posts you’ve shared or reacted to and easier to delete if you want. Facebook claims it will also let you have more control over what ads you see and let you manage the information they use to determine what ads Facebook shows you.
Facebook wants to regain the trust of its users, so expect to see these changes rolled out in the next few weeks. According to the company, the goal is to help users better understand how data is shared with Facebook.
“These updates are about transparency – not about gaining new rights to collect, use, or share data,” a spokesperson said in a Facebook blog post. “We’ve worked with regulators, legislators and privacy experts on these tools and updates. We’ll have more to share in the coming weeks, including updates on the measures Mark shared last week.”
