Staying safe on Facebook

Privacy on Facebook

You have control over how public or private your profile is and who can see the content you share. You can choose to share publicly, just with your friends, specific people, or only yourself.

Name and profile picture: 

Your Facebook name is always visible and must be real, though variations like nicknames are allowed. Your profile picture and cover photo are public; for privacy, you could consider using non-identifying images such a photo of a landscape.

Your previous profile pictures and cover photos are automatically saved in albums and you can adjust the privacy settings of these albums / photos to make them private. Find out how.(https://www.facebook.com/help/215496745135618?helpref=faq_content )

Personal information and posts: 

Control who sees your phone number, email, and birthday to avoid unwanted contact or impersonation. You can adjust the settings for past posts to limit their visibility.

• A good way to set up your privacy settings is to complete Facebook's Privacy Check Up(https://www.facebook.com/help/443357099140264)
• Use the Security Check Up(https://www.facebook.com/help/799880743466869/?helpref=search&query=security%20check%20up&search_session_id=6f6f88e922d590d710f9d483ea300310&sr=3) function to add more security

Locking your profile

Locking your profile will dramatically reduce the visibility of your profile and content to people you are not Facebook friends with.

Offering the highest level of privacy, this feature only allows your friends to see photos, posts and stories and will change all previous public posts to "friends only". You will know if a person has chosen to lock their profile as a lock symbol will display.

To read more about these features and how to lock your profile, visit Facebook's guide(https://www.facebook.com/help/196419427651178/?helpref=search&query=lock%20profile&search_session_id=f31d093925b1c2e1ddfb2e751fb07476&sr=0).

You can see how your profile appears to others by using the "View As" function.

Managing unwanted contact

If you receive unwanted messages, that upset you or you regularly see content that makes you uncomfortable, you can take steps to manage your experience on Facebook. The following tools will help you control your connections, the content you see, and report harmful content directly to Facebook for review.

• ​​​Unfriend: If you no longer want to be connected with someone on Facebook, you can unfriend them. This limits their access to your profile, depending on your privacy settings, but allows you both to send friend requests again in the future. How to unfriend someone(https://www.facebook.com/help/1000976436606344?helpref=hc_fnav).
• Block: To prevent an account from engaging with you, you can block them. This stops them from finding you in searches, sending messages, and viewing your content. The blocked person won't know they have been blocked, and you can unblock accounts at any time. How to block someone(https://www.facebook.com/help/1000976436606344?helpref=hc_fnav).
• Unfollow: If you want to stay connected but prefer not to see someone's posts, you can unfollow them. This maintains the connection without showing their updates in your feed. How to unfollow someone(https://www.facebook.com/help/190078864497547/?helpref=search&query=unfollow&search_session_id=ff4bd1850611feac2c5383a6fc0373ac&sr=0).
• Preferences: You can adjust your Facebook feed preferences to show the content that you want to see. How to adjust your Facebook feed.(https://www.facebook.com/help/371675846332829/?helpref=search&query=adjust%20facebook%20feed&search_session_id=299cb50dbe889102cfa2501e5169b9bf&sr=0)

Worried about a post or a profile?

If you encounter something on Facebook that violates Community Standards(https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/policies/community-standards/?source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcommunitystandards), you can report it to Facebook. These standards are the rules set by Facebook for users to follow.

Facebook will review your report and inform you of their actions via your Support Inbox. To report a post, click the top right corner of the post, select the option that best describes the issue, and follow the on-screen instructions.

How to report a profile(https://www.facebook.com/help/171757096241231/?helpref=search&query=report%20a%20profile&search_session_id=3740896ac0a1679500b95727dcc740ac&sr=0).

How to report a post.(https://www.facebook.com/help/1380418588640631/?helpref=search&query=report%20a%20comment&search_session_id=f67d4b78665b32284332b25c8da2dacc&sr=5)

Facebook Stories

Facebook Stories enables you to share photos, videos, and posts that vanish after 24 hours. Situated at the top of the app, these stories can feature text, music, stickers, and effects. You can privately view, reply, and react to stories, offering a temporary method to share moments and updates.

How to report Facebook Stories(https://www.facebook.com/help/363962263966692)

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a digital marketplace where users can buy, sell, and trade items locally.

Be cautious when purchasing items on Facebook Marketplace or community pages. While many people are genuine, some traders may not be honest.

It's best not to exchange money before you have seen the item in person.

Facebook has tips on how to buy and sell responsibly on Marketplace(https://www.facebook.com/help/1156544111079919/?helpref=related_articles).​

Facebook groups

Facebook groups are spaces where people can share interests and can be set to private or public.

Here are some tips for running and/or supporting a Facebook group:

Group Rules: 

• Define how members should interact and what behaviour is expected. Clear rules help moderators identify issues and set consequences for violations.
• Common rules cover the group's purpose, acceptable content, prohibition of bullying and harassment, no self-promotion, and respectful interactions.

Admin Guidance: 

• Admins can outline consequences for breaking rules, like immediate or permanent bans.
• For groups with numerous rules, list them in a separate document in the 'About' section. Including moderator identities and external contact information can also be helpful.

Facebook advice on how to write group rules.(https://www.facebook.com/help/462230500886400?helpref=search&query=group%20rules&search_session_id=6df65528adb5dc381d58c26d91ab1371&sr=0)

Further resources

Advice for young people

While it is exciting and fun to engage with friends online, it is important to be aware of where you are sharing your information and with whom.

Netsafe has created an online learning module that provides easy-to-digest information on everything from making your own choices about what to share to security advice and what to do when things go wrong.

Check it out in the online learning options below.

Advice for parents

The minimum age for a Facebook account is 13.

Messenger Kids: is a free video calling and messaging app for children under 13, owned by Facebook.

It allows kids to send messages and make video calls with features like stickers, GIFs, drawing tools, and filters whilst parents can monitor activity and control the contact list via the Parent Dashboard. Parents must sign up on behalf of their child, and a Facebook account is not required.

Messenger Kids does not show ads or offer in-app purchases. It supports content sharing, messaging, online relationships, and video calling, and can be used to communicate with adults on Messenger.

For more information go to Messenger Kids(https://www.messengerkids.com/).

If you're experiencing online abuse, fallen victim to a scam, or need some advice about another online issue, Netsafe is here to support you.

Our helpline is free, confidential and non-judgmental - providing expert advice and assistance seven days a week.

Report online (https://report.netsafe.org.nz/hc/en-au/requests/new)Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])Text 'Netsafe' to 4282 (sms:4282?body=Netsafe)Live chat support Call 0508 638 723 8am-8pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends (tel:0508638723)New Zealanders overseas can call +64 9 666 0840 (tel:+6496660840)