How to Make Your Facebook Account Private: A Senior’s Guide to Social Media Security

Remember when privacy meant pulling down the blinds and screening your calls with an answering machine? That seems so quaint in today’s digital age.

Because, boy, have things changed!

Nowadays, keeping your personal life private takes a lot more that drawing the curtains. Especially on social media sites like Facebook.

The good news is there are some simple things you can do to keep things more private online.

So, if the thought of random strangers peeking at your photos or having Facebook serve you eerily accurate ads is giving you the digital heebie-jeebies, don’t worry.

You can take control and make your Facebook account as private as possible while still staying connected. Here’s how to do it in a way even Mark Zuckerberg’s grandma could understand.

Let’s learn how…

Why Bother with Privacy?

Let’s face it – you didn’t spend 65 years carefully guarding your personal information just to broadcast it to every Tom, Dick, and Nigerian prince on the internet.

Here are some good reasons you’ll want to increase your Facebook privacy:

• Prevent scammers from targeting you (They’re worse than those encyclopedia salesmen from the 60s!)
• Keep nosy neighbors from knowing every time you’re on vacation
• Stop your ex from the bridge club from stalking your new relationship status
• Protect personal information from being used in marketing (Yes, that’s why you keep getting ads for miracle arthritis cures)

Basic Privacy Settings: Your First Line of Defense

Think of Facebook privacy settings like the locks on your front door—except instead of one lock, there are about 20… and each one does something different.

No, they don’t make it super easy. But it does give you more control over what you share and who sees it.

Don’t worry, though—we’ll guide you through it step by step, and it’ll be easier than it sounds.

Ready? Let’s start with the basics:

(Quick note: Tech companies love rearranging things. If the instructions below aren’t exact, the Facebook tech fairies have probably moved things around. Try searching for the settings on Google or ChatGPT. You can also ask a trusted friend or family member for help. If you do find things have changed, please let us know so we can update the content on this page for others!)

Step 1: Lock Down Your Future Posts

When you post something on Facebook – whether it’s a photo of your grandkids or a comment about your garden – this privacy setting controls who gets to see it.

By default, Facebook often sets this to “Public,” which means anyone can see what you post, even if they’re not your Facebook friend. Here’s how to fix that:

1. Click the little down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook
2. Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
3. Click “Privacy” on the left side
4. Look for “Who can see your future posts?”
5. Click “Edit” and select “Friends” or “Only Me”

Why this matters: When you set this to “Friends,” only people you’ve specifically approved as Facebook friends can see what you post.

This keeps strangers from learning personal details about your life. For example, when you’re on vacation (which could tell burglars when your house is empty) or information about your grandchildren.

Step 2: Protect Your Past Posts

Those old posts from years ago might be set to “Public” without you realizing it. This setting helps you protect everything you’ve ever shared on Facebook, all at once:

1. Stay in the Privacy settings
2. Find “Limit Past Posts”
3. Click “Limit Past Posts” button
4. Confirm your choice

Why this matters: This changes all your old posts that were “Public” or “Friends of Friends” to “Friends Only.”

This means that old photos, comments, and status updates won’t be visible to strangers anymore. Think of it like closing all the blinds in your house at once – it gives you instant privacy for everything.

Important note: If you’ve tagged friends in past posts, they and their friends might still be able to see those specific posts.

If you’re concerned about particular old posts, you might want to delete them entirely.

Advanced Privacy: Becoming a Social Media Fortress

Okay, you’ve got your posts locked down. That’s a good start.

But to truly make Facebook private, there’s more to do. Here are more settings to tinker with:

Profile Information Privacy

Your profile information is like your digital business card – but you wouldn’t hand your business card to every stranger on the street, would you? Here’s how to control who sees what:

1. Go to your profile (click your name at the top)
2. Click “About”
3. For each section (work, education, places lived, etc.):
   • Click the little globe or people icon
   • Select “Only Friends” or “Only Me”

Why this matters: Your profile information can be a gold mine for scammers. For example:

• Your birth date and hometown could be used to guess passwords
• Your work history could be used in targeted phishing scams
• Your family relationships could be used to create fake “grandchild in trouble” scams
• Your places lived could be used to answer security questions for your accounts

Timeline and Tagging

You wouldn’t want strangers scribbling on your front door or posting your pictures around town, right? The same goes for your Facebook timeline.

Here’s how to take control who posts on your timeline or tags you in their posts:

1. Go to Privacy Settings
2. Find “Timeline and Tagging”
3. Review all settings:
   • Set “Who can post on your timeline?” to “Only Me” or “Friends”
   • Set “Who can see posts you’re tagged in?” to “Friends” or “Only Me”
   • Turn on “Review posts you’re tagged in before they appear on your timeline”

Why this matters:

• Prevents random people from posting on your timeline (which could include scam links or inappropriate content)
• Gives you control over what shows up on your timeline when friends tag you
• Lets you review and approve posts before they appear on your profile
• Helps protect your privacy when friends post photos or updates that include you

Pro Tip: Think of timeline review like having a peephole in your front door – except this one lets you screen posts instead of encyclopedia salesmen!

Photo Privacy Settings

Back in the day, the riskiest thing about sharing photos was boring someone with your vacation slideshow. Now, that innocent picture of your prized tomato plants could accidentally show your house number to the whole internet!

Let’s make sure your photos are as secure as that secret cookie recipe you still won’t share with your daughter-in-law:

1. Control Who Sees New Photos
   • Before posting any photo, look for the audience selector (looks like a globe or people icon)
   • Click it and choose “Friends” or a more restricted group
   • Whatever you select becomes your default for future photos
2. Protect Your Photo Albums
   • Go to your profile and click “Photos” → “Albums”
   • Click the three dots (…) next to each album
   • Select “Edit Privacy”
   • Choose who should see these photos
3. Check Individual Photo Privacy
   • Open any photo you’ve posted
   • Click the three dots (…)
   • Select “Edit Privacy”
   • Choose your audience

Why this matters:

• Keeps your personal photos away from strangers
• Helps protect your family’s privacy, especially young grandchildren
• Prevents people from learning too much about your daily routine or home
• Gives you control over who sees different types of photos

Important Safety Tips for Photos:

• Before posting any photo, check for:
  • House numbers or street signs
  • Mail or documents with personal information
  • License plates
  • Any identifying information in the background
• Wait until you’re home to post vacation photos (don’t advertise an empty house!)
• Always get permission before posting photos of grandchildren

Pro Tip: Think of Facebook photo privacy like showing physical photos at home – you might put some on the wall for everyone to see, keep others in albums for friends, and save the most personal ones for family only.

The Nuclear Option: Maximum Privacy

If you want to lock down your Facebook tighter than Fort Knox, here’s the complete lockdown procedure with explanations for each step:

1. Make Your Friends List Private

How: Go to Privacy Settings → Who can see your friends list? → Select “Only Me”

Why: Scammers often target friends of their victims. Hiding your friends list protects both you and your friends from chain-scam attempts.

2. Turn Off Search Engine Visibility

How: Privacy Settings → Do you want search engines outside Facebook to link to your profile? → Turn Off

Why: This prevents your Facebook profile from showing up when someone Googles your name. It adds an extra layer of privacy from people trying to find information about you online.

3. Limit Who Can Send Friend Requests

How: Privacy Settings → Who can send you friend requests? → Select “Friends of Friends”

Why: This helps prevent strangers and scam accounts from trying to connect with you. They’ll need to actually know someone you know to send a request.

4. Disable Facial Recognition

How: Settings → Face Recognition → Edit → Select “No”

Why: This stops Facebook from automatically recognizing your face in photos and suggesting that friends tag you. It gives you more control over your presence in photos on the platform.

5. Control App Permissions

How: Settings → Apps and Websites

Why: When you use Facebook to log into other apps or websites, they get access to your information. Review and remove any apps you don’t use anymore. Think of this like cleaning out your junk drawer – get rid of anything you don’t need!

6. Adjust Ad Settings

How: Settings → Ads → Ad Settings What to do:

• Turn off “Ads based on data from partners”
• Turn off “Ads based on your activity on Facebook Company Products that you see elsewhere”
• Turn off “Ads that include your social actions”

Why: This limits how much Facebook can use your information to show you targeted ads and stops them from using your name and photo in ads shown to your friends.

Before You Hit ‘Post’ and Regret It…

Great job locking down your settings! But Facebook privacy isn’t just a one-time chore. These extra tips will keep you safe and help you avoid that “Oops, did I really share that?” moment.

• Don’t accept friend requests from strangers (Even if they claim to be a long-lost relative with a fortune to share)
• Be wary of duplicate friend requests from people you’re already friends with (This is a common scam – the scammer copies your real friend’s profile)
• Check your privacy settings monthly (Facebook likes to change things more often than you change your smoke detector batteries)
• Be careful what you share (If you wouldn’t announce it at church, don’t put it on Facebook)
• Never share these things publicly:
  • Your full birth date
  • Your home address
  • When you’re going on vacation
  • Medical information
  • Financial information
  • Photos of your grandchildren (without their parents’ permission)

Better to Be Too Private Than Not Private Enough

Remember, the best Facebook privacy is like a good pair of comfortable shoes – it takes a little time to get everything adjusted just right, but once you do, you can relax and enjoy the journey.

Keep this guide handy, check your settings regularly, and you’ll be as secure as a squirrel’s winter nut stash!

And remember: when in doubt, it’s better to be too private than not private enough. You can always share more later, but you can’t take back what’s already been seen by others.