Facebook connects millions of people with family, friends, and communities — but it also collects a significant amount of personal data by default. The good news is that Facebook gives you real control over your privacy, if you know where to look. Many users, especially those who joined years ago, have never reviewed these settings. In just 15 minutes, you can dramatically reduce who sees your information and how Facebook uses your data.
According to the FTC, social media platforms are among the most common starting points for identity theft and fraud targeting adults over 50. Adjusting your privacy settings is one of the simplest and most effective protective steps you can take today.
What Are Facebook Privacy Settings?
Facebook privacy settings are a set of controls that determine who can see your posts, who can find your profile, who can send you friend requests, and how your data is used for advertising. When you first create a Facebook account, many of these settings default to the most open configuration — meaning strangers may be able to see more than you realize.
Think of it like the curtains on your windows: your house is your profile, and you decide who gets to look in. Without adjusting your settings, the curtains may already be wide open.
Why Reviewing Your Privacy Settings Matters
Most Facebook users set up their accounts years ago and have never revisited the privacy page. Since then, Facebook has added new features — and new default settings — that may expose more of your information than you intended.
Scammers often gather information from public Facebook profiles — your hometown, birthday, family members’ names — to craft convincing phishing messages or impersonation attempts. Locking down your profile removes this low-hanging fruit.
The Most Important Facebook Privacy Settings to Change
Here’s a step-by-step guide to the settings that matter most. On a computer, click the arrow (▾) in the top-right corner of Facebook, then select Settings & Privacy > Privacy Checkup. On your phone, tap the three horizontal lines (☰), then scroll to Settings & Privacy.
1. Who Can See Your Future Posts?
Go to Settings > Privacy > Your activity. Set Who can see your future posts to Friends (not Public). This is the single most important change — it ensures new posts only reach people you’ve accepted as friends.
2. Who Can Find You by Email or Phone Number?
Under Settings > Privacy > How people find and contact you, change Who can look you up using the email address you provided to Friends or Only me. Do the same for your phone number. This prevents strangers and data-harvesting bots from finding your profile through your contact information.
3. Who Can Send You Friend Requests?
Set this to Friends of Friends instead of Everyone. This reduces the volume of unknown connection requests, which are often the first step in romance scams or impersonation fraud.
4. Do Search Engines Link to Your Profile?
Scroll to Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile? and turn this OFF. Without this change, your Facebook profile may appear in Google search results — visible to anyone searching your name.
- Review past posts: Use Limit Past Posts to change all older public posts to Friends-only at once.
- Profile picture: Make your profile picture visible only to Friends, not the public.
- Stories & Reels: Set the audience for Stories to Friends, not Public.
- Tagged photos: Enable Timeline Review to approve before tagged content appears on your profile.
- Ad preferences: Go to Settings > Ads > Ad Settings to limit how Facebook uses your activity for targeting.
Pros and Cons of Tightening Facebook Privacy
Reduces exposure to strangers
Scammers and data brokers can’t harvest your public posts, photos, or contact details.
Fewer unwanted friend requests
Limiting who can find and contact you significantly cuts down on spam and impersonation attempts.
More control over your image
With Timeline Review enabled, you approve what appears on your profile before it goes live.
Friends-only posts reach fewer people
Public community posts or neighborhood updates won’t reach non-friends — you may need separate community pages for that.
Settings may reset after app updates
Facebook occasionally resets or adds new settings after major updates — it’s worth checking every few months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my privacy settings affect people who already follow me?
Yes. If you change past posts from Public to Friends-only using Limit Past Posts, those posts will no longer be visible to non-friends, including previous followers who aren’t on your Friends list.
Can Facebook still collect my data even with strict privacy settings?
Yes — Facebook still collects usage data for its own purposes. Privacy settings mainly control what other users and outside search engines can see, not what Facebook itself sees internally.
How often should I check my Facebook privacy settings?
At minimum, once every 3-6 months. Facebook updates its platform regularly and sometimes introduces new settings with default-open options. A quick Privacy Checkup takes less than 10 minutes.
Is there a way to see what my profile looks like to a stranger?
Yes. Go to your profile, click the three dots (•••) near Edit Profile, and select View As. This shows exactly what a non-friend sees when they visit your page — a great way to verify your settings are working.
Final Thoughts
Facebook doesn’t have to be a privacy risk — but it does require a bit of active management. Taking 15 minutes today to update your privacy settings is one of the most effective things you can do to protect yourself online. Start with the Privacy Checkup, limit your post audience to Friends, and use View As to see your profile through a stranger’s eyes. Small changes add up to meaningful protection.
For more guidance on staying safe online, read our guide on two-factor authentication — another powerful layer of account security that works well alongside strong privacy settings.