Facebook teaches you how to keep data private after EU law

Facebook is teaching you how to keep your data private with a set of new educational videos.

The social media giant has also published its privacy principles for the first time as it prepares for a tough new EU data protection law.

The videos show users how to manage the data that Facebook uses to show them ads, how to delete old posts, and what happens to their information when they delete their account.

The platform targets ads based on 98 personal data points its collects on members using their on-site activity, location settings and internet connection. 

Anything from your marital status, age, places you’ve checked in, the pages you have liked, and more can be seen by advertisers unless you have changed your Facebook privacy settings.

 

The videos show users how to manage their data on the site, which the company uses to show you advertisements

Facebook is teaching you how to keep your data private with a set of new educational videos (pictured). The social media giant has also published its privacy principles for the first time as it prepares for a tough new EU data protection law

As well as its new education clips, which will appear in people’s News Feeds starting today, Facebook is sharing privacy tips in advertising campaigns on other websites, Erin Egan, chief privacy officer at the firm, said in a blog post.

In the post, Facebook, which has more than 2 billion users worldwide, also revealed its privacy principles, which outline how the company handles users’ information.

Facebook said it had never before published the principles.

Monday’s announcements are a sign of its efforts to get ready before the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enters into force on May 25.

The law will mark the biggest overhaul of personal data privacy rules since the birth of the internet.

Under GDPR, companies will be required to report data breaches within 72 hours, as well as to allow customers to export their data and delete it.

WHAT ARE FACEBOOK’S PRIVACY PRINCIPLES?

Facebook’s privacy principles, which are separate from its terms and conditions, outline how the company handles users’ information.

The company published the rules online for the first time in January 2018 ahead of a tough new EU data protection law.

1) We give you control of your privacy: Facebook users should have the option to make choices about their privacy and know where to go to change their privacy settings.

2) We help people understand how their data is used: The firm describes how it uses people’s data in its Data Policy but also includes features such as ‘ad controls’ in the top right corner of every advertisement.

3) We design privacy into our products from the outset: Facebook says it designs privacy into its services with guidance from experts in data protection and privacy law, security, engineering, public policy, and more.

Facebook's privacy principles, which are separate from its terms and conditions, outline how the company handles users' information (stock image)

Facebook’s privacy principles, which are separate from its terms and conditions, outline how the company handles users’ information (stock image)

4) We work hard to keep your information secure: The company says it  works around the clock’ to help protect people’s accounts and build security into every Facebook product.

5) You own and can delete your information: You decide what you share and who you share it with on Facebook, and can delete posts and your account at any time. Deleting removes data from your timeline and Facebook’s servers.

6) Improvement is constant: Facebook says it is ‘constantly working’ to develop new controls and explain them to people clearly. It works with experts beyond Facebook including designers, privacy professionals and regulators.

7) We are accountable: Facebook undertakes privacy reviews, data security testing, and meets with regulators, legislators and privacy experts to get input on data practices and policies, the company said.

Facebook’s privacy principles, which are separate from the user terms and conditions that are agreed when someone opens an account, range from giving users control of their privacy, to building privacy features into Facebook products from the outset, to users owning the information they share.

‘We recognize that people use Facebook to connect, but not everyone wants to share everything with everyone – including with us,’ Mr Egan wrote.

‘It’s important that you have choices when it comes to how your data is used.’

The videos show users how to manage the data that Facebook uses to show them ads, how to delete old posts, and what happens to their information when they delete their account

The videos show users how to manage the data that Facebook uses to show them ads, how to delete old posts, and what happens to their information when they delete their account

WHAT IS THE EU’S GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION?

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new data protection law that will enter into force on May 25.

It aims to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU).

This means cracking down on how companies like Google and Facebook use and sell the data they collect on their users.

The law will mark the biggest overhaul of personal data privacy rules since the birth of the internet.

Under GDPR, companies will be required to report data breaches within 72 hours, as well as to allow customers to export their data and delete it.

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new data protection law that will enter into force on May 25. It aims to  crack down on how companies like Google and Facebook use and sell the data they collect on their users

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new data protection law that will enter into force on May 25. It aims to crack down on how companies like Google and Facebook use and sell the data they collect on their users

Also among the company’s privacy principles are helping users understand how their data is used, keeping that information secure, constantly improving new controls, and being accountable to regulators.

‘We put products through rigorous data security testing,’ the blog post said.

‘We also meet with regulators, legislators and privacy experts around the world to get input on our data practices and policies.’

Facebook uses a range of personal data points to target advertisements.

Not all of the ads you see while scrolling have been placed there using Facebook’s ‘mind reading’ tools, as the technology looks for obvious clues on your page such as whether you’re getting married, planning a vacation or about to have a birthday.

Most of the ads are from personal information that users give away themselves through posts, comments and profile updates.

Facebook has previously said: ‘We use information from a few different sources to figure out which ads might be relevant and useful to you.

‘Things like your Facebook profile information, activity on Facebook and interactions with businesses can all influence the ads you see.’

The company’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced last week that Facebook would be creating a new privacy centre which would put the social network’s key privacy settings in one place.

The GDPR drastically increases the level of fines for companies found to be in breach of data protection law, potentially rising as high as four percent of global annual turnover or 20 million euros, whichever is higher.

Facebook has faced probes from EU regulators over its use of user data and tracking of online activities.

As of Monday, users will be reminded by their News Feeds to take a ‘privacy checkup,’ Mr Egan wrote in his blog.

The reminders aim to ensure users are comfortable about what data they are sharing, and with whom.



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