You’d be surprised at the amount of information your cellular service provider has about you at their fingertips.

In the same way, social media has your profile pretty much buttoned up and Facebook is a classic example.

Kerry Ensor from Social Media Mgr says: “Of course it is up to you how much you want to share with the world via Facebook. Everyone is different and has different standards on what they like to keep private.”

Social Media Mgr helps businesses to drive their revenue by using social media, so Kerry is well-versed in setting up profiles on this particular medium. Her advice is: “Do not feel like you have to fill in every box on Facebook. If you are worried about privacy, don’t write it in!”

Why are maximum privacy settings so important?

While these may differ from person to person, the three main reasons are:

  • Identity theft – strangers knowing enough about you to pretend to be you.
  • The wrong people knowing about your movements, like when you go on holiday or a recent big purchase.
  • Future recruitment – social media is the first place that recruiters/potential employers will go to find out more about you.

It’s up to you to implement the right settings.

With more than 750 million users, Facebook is under a fair amount of pressure to step up and provide its members with privacy options that do the trick.

To its credit, Facebook offers numerous options on how to protect details like where you live, what your interests are, who can view and share your photographs and many more.

The onus is on you to protect your information by using the available tools to make sure that your families – especially children – know how to do the same.

For step-by-step instructions on how to adjust your own and your family’s Facebook settings to give maximum privacy, have a look at this Social Media Mgr blog – Settings for your privacy.

We recommend you evaluate what information you want out there and who you think should see it.

Then adjust your settings accordingly and enjoy Facebook for its original purpose – connecting and interacting with friends and your favourite brands, and receiving information that you choose to hear about.

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