It should come as no surprise that Facebook is once again, updating their terms and policies. If it’s not a new tweak to their infamous Edge Rank Algorithm or giving their platform a little makeover, it seems that a change to their policies is inevitable. Of course, many Facebook users either know nothing about the current privacy settings or care very little about them… but the fact of the matter is, when it comes to a platform that tracks every click you make, every photo you share and every person you “friend”, you should probably care about what your privacy rights are. Luckily Facebook is now offering an easy way to stay on top of the recent updates with “Privacy Basics.”
So what does this mean to you as an avid Facebook user? With Privacy Basics, you’ll get tips and a how-to guide for taking charge of your experience on Facebook. For example, you can learn about untagging, unfriending, blocking and how to choose an audience for each of your posts.
Aside from the introduction of Privacy Basics, Facebook is also making some changes to their data policy, terms of service and cookies policy. These will all be effective as of January 30th, 2015. The new updates reflect important disclosures about how you can use Facebook to share with others and how they collect and can use your content and information. If you need help sorting through the fluff ask someone from the NetWeave team to go over it with you! We are happy to help.
If your eyes are starting to glaze over and you’re ready to forego using the platform all together, don’t worry! The new updates are actually designed to enhance your experience on Facebook and make it a better, more engaging way to spend your time. In a nutshell, here’s what you can expect to see in 2015:
- New Location Information Features. For example, if you decide to share where you are, you might see menus from restaurants nearby or updates from friends in the area.
- Easier Online Shopping. They’re currently testing a “Buy” button that helps people discover and purchase products without leaving Facebook.
- More Efficiency with Facebook Apps. Facebook will ask for location information when you “check in” or add locations to your posts in order to determine battery and signal strength of your phone. That way they can ensure their apps work better on your device.
- Cohesion with Facebook Family Companies. The updates to FB won’t affect your experience on Instagram or WhatsApp, but it will allow you to use your Facebook information to recover forgotten login information on other platforms they own.
- More Control with Ads You See. When you tell FB you don’t want to see a certain type of ads, your decision will automatically apply to every device you use to access Facebook.
Perhaps the greatest part about these new changes is that Facebook is finally taking all the feedback they’ve received and implementing them into new ways to enhance the user experience. So enjoy the old Facebook while you can, and look forward to the improvements in the new year. Happy holidays everyone- We’ll see you and all the new FB changes in 2015!