Last week I promised tips to keep readers and their families safer from Facebook abuse, thanks to Consumer Reports, so let’s begin.
* Keep your “friends” to real friends and acquaintances. Don’t automatically befriend everyone who asks; be selective. Go to Account, then Privacy Settings. If you want to be really sure you’re locked down, set everything you can to Friends Only.
n Don’t post your full birthday. Identity thieves search for folks who include their year of birth. Hide your age (and the birthday itself) from your profile page by clicking on Edit profile and making certain the drop-down box says only “Show only month & day in my profile.”
* Forget instant personalization. Any site that links to your Facebook account stays on by default and gives out the site(s) info to all 17,853 of your “friends.” Choose Apps and Websites, then “Edit settings,” under Instant Personalization. Once you’ve accomplished this, uncheck the box.
* Giving apps too much access is danger-