Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users as of 2022. Given its massive userbase and the vast amounts of personal data shared on the platform, Facebook’s privacy settings and data policies have long been scrutinized.
In recent years, Facebook has faced increased criticism over its privacy practices, especially after high-profile data breaches and scandals like Cambridge Analytica. This has led many users to question if and how Facebook has changed its privacy settings and data policies.
Facebook’s History of Privacy Controversies
Facebook has faced privacy controversies going back to its early days as a company:
- In 2007, Facebook launched Beacon, an advertising system that tracked user activity on third-party sites without consent. There was significant backlash over privacy concerns.
- In 2009, Facebook changed its terms of service to claim permanent ownership of user content, sparking outrage. The company reverted the terms back after public pressure.
- In 2010, some Facebook apps and advertisers were found to be collecting user data without permission. Facebook promised to strengthen app oversight.
- In 2011, Facebook settled with the FTC over deceptive privacy settings that shared user data publicly without consent. This led to 20 years of privacy audits for Facebook.
- In 2013, Edward Snowden’s leaks revealed that Facebook gave private user data access to the NSA’s PRISM surveillance program.
- In 2018, the Cambridge Analytica scandal showed that a third-party app collected data on 87 million Facebook users without consent and used it for political ad targeting.
Facebook has faced numerous other smaller-scale privacy issues over the years, leading to ongoing criticism and skepticism regarding its privacy practices.
Key Facebook Privacy Settings
Facebook provides users with various privacy settings to control who can see their posts, profile information, and other data. Here are some of the key privacy settings to be aware of:
Public/Private Profile
By default, Facebook profiles are public. Changing this to private limits access to confirmed friends only. Private profiles do not show up in public search results either.
Activity Status
Users can limit who sees when they are active or typing on Facebook’s chat messenger. The options include everyone, friends only, specific people or lists, or turning this status off.
Ad Preferences
Users can view interests and personal traits Facebook has inferred about them for ad targeting purposes. They can remove these preferences and turn off targeted advertising completely.
Apps and Websites
This settings page shows which third-party apps and websites the user has logged into using Facebook Login. Users can remove app access and turn off Platform data sharing here.
Face Recognition
Facebook can suggest tags in photos using facial recognition. This can be turned off here.
Location Settings
Various location data like location history and live locations can be cleared and turned off here.
News Feed Preferences
Users can prioritize posts from close connections, limit political content, and otherwise customize what they see in their News Feeds.
Ad Topics
This shows ad interest categories derived from user activity. Users can remove interests they don’t want used for ad targeting.
Major Facebook Privacy Policy Changes
Facebook has updated its data policy many times over the years as scrutiny has increased. Here are some notable privacy policy changes:
2014: Allowing 3rd-Party App Data Collection
In 2014, Facebook updated its platform policy to let third-party apps not only access user data but collect and store it independently. This ultimately enabled the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
2018: Compliance with GDPR
To comply with Europe’s new GDPR privacy regulations, Facebook made its terms more transparent, provided clearer data access/deletion options, and further restricted data sharing without consent.
2020: Off-Facebook Activity Tracking
Facebook launched a new Off-Facebook Activity tool that lets users view and clear their activity data from third-party sites/apps used for ad targeting.
2021: Restricting Some Partner Data Sharing
After an Irish audit, Facebook agreed to stop sharing certain data like health/religion info with some third-party partners like advertisers unless users give explicit consent.
2022: Locking Down Targeted Ads
In 2022, Facebook announced it will remove detailed target options for ads related to health, race, politics, religion, and sexual orientation. Advertisers can still target audiences generally interested in these topics.
Assessing Facebook’s Privacy Progress
Facebook has clearly enhanced privacy protections for users substantially since its early days of growth at all costs. However, many privacy experts and advocates argue the company still does not go far enough:
- Facebook still collects expansive data on users for ad targeting by default, only providing opt-outs for limited parts of the data.
- Key privacy settings are often buried deep in complex account menus, and defaults remain geared towards data sharing.
- Facebook’s advertising systems have repeatedly enabled discrimination, harassment, misinformation, and political manipulation.
- Despite restrictions, Facebook still shares large amounts of data with unknown third-parties, as detailed in various leaked documents.
- Facebook often adds privacy features only after public pressure, lawsuits, or regulatory action rather than proactively.
While Facebook has clearly improved privacy protections relative to its early years, most experts argue the company’s business model still primarily relies on collecting, analyzing, and monetizing user data in ways largely out of individual user control. Meaningful data minimization, transparency, and consent requirements remain lacking. Overall, users still cannot have full confidence in Facebook’s privacy and data practices.
The Impact of Apple’s Privacy Changes
In 2021, Apple rolled out major privacy restrictions for all iPhone apps that significantly impacted Facebook’s ad targeting and analytics capabilities.
Specifically, iPhone users can now opt out of cross-app tracking and sharing their identifier for advertisers (IDFA). This prevents Facebook from connecting user activity across different apps and websites to inform ad targeting.
Early data showed over 80% of US iPhone users have opted out of this tracking, cutting into Facebook’s ad revenue and growth projections substantially. Facebook has decried Apple’s changes while Apple argues it is simply empowering user privacy and choice.
This illustrates how smartphone operating systems like iOS can potentially have more impact enforcing privacy restrictions on platforms like Facebook than regulations alone. It also reveals how heavily Facebook relies on unfettered data collection and integration from third parties to fuel its surveillance advertising systems.
Steps Users Can Take
While Facebook could certainly do more to protect privacy by default, individual users are not powerless. Here are some key steps all Facebook users can take to enhance their privacy:
- Review all privacy settings carefully and customize them for your comfort level.
- Turn off facial recognition features.
- Disable location tracking and history.
- Avoid connecting third-party apps and logging in via Facebook.
- Opt out of targeted advertising completely or remove unwanted inferred interests.
- Be wary of sharing personal content broadly. Use friend lists to filter it.
- Use filters to limit political content in your News Feed if it causes stress or conflict.
- Turn off Platform data sharing with third parties where possible.
- Consider installing a web/app tracking blocker like Privacy Badger.
While Facebook will likely continue collecting some data, users can take back a degree of control over their information and online experience this way.
Conclusion
Facebook has updated its privacy policies and settings substantially over the years in attempts to address ongoing controversies and regain user trust. However, most privacy experts argue the platform’s core surveillance advertising business model still inherently conflicts with user privacy.
Comprehensive data collection and micro-targeting remain embedded in Facebook’s foundations. Still, empowered users can utilize privacy tools and settings to minimize risks and improve their experience. Looking ahead, smartphone platforms like Apple may have the greatest impact restricting Facebook’s data access and use. But only robust new laws and regulations with real enforcement seem likely to compel the comprehensive model changes critics argue are needed. The debate over Facebook’s privacy practices and future continues unfolding.