To Delete, Or Not Delete… Facebook

Unless you live on a remote island, without any comms, I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the Facebook exodus over the past few weeks in the latest movement to #DeleteFacebook and Mark Zuckerberg’s Congressional grilling session on privacy, data collection, and more. But just in case you’re indeed on a remote island, here’s my take on it.

No, don’t delete Facebook… yet! Before you start swinging at me with your 20oz argument gloves, calm the f#&k down! I’m sure we can discuss this without going 12 rounds.

On March 17th, The Guardian and the NY Times reported that Cambridge Analytica pilfered data from millions of Facebook users without their knowledge, using a personality quiz app. We also learned that the data was allegedly used, and manipulated by less than pleasant a-holes, in the recent US presidential campaign with targeted ads. Sure, but let’s skip this fact for now.

And why is this FB data leakage so important? Because trust in the 11 year-old King of Social Media is being questioned by its 2 billion users. Meanwhile #DeleteFacebook has kinda been trending for weeks since Elon Musk jumped on the bandwagon of users who pledged to delete their accounts.

I’m not going to lie, it was sad watching Zuckerberg being toasted yesterday during the Congressional hearing. At some moments it genuinely looked like he had sent a robot version of himself. Or he was cosplaying as Star Trek’s Data.

Well, jokes aside. Even though Facebook works hard to create a safe environment for it’s millions of users, it can’t guarantee your complete and total safety. Any social media outlet can do that.

How about your data? That’s been long gone. You want to get it back? Forget about it. Anyone who owns it by now knows everything about you, your habits and the toilet paper that you use. That’s been true from the beginning. And if you’re from my generation (remember AOL and Myspace?) how did they make money? By selling your data. And that was twenty years ago.

Chill. Before you nuke your account, or even try to reduce your reliance on Facebook, just forget about it. That’s over. We have to live with the resulting disaster. This is just a whole lot of spilled milk. Now let’s take a moment to collect our thoughts. Social Media isn’t going anywhere. Facebook neither. We’ll definitely see big changes this year with security. Facebook usage will ebb and flow over time and you’ll ultimately need to make the call as to what’s best for you based on your own insights and gut instincts.

So what can we learn from this? Uncle Ben’s “With great power comes a great responsibility” fits like a glove. Facebook is an extremely powerful tool. From individuals to brands to businesses, to ideas and thoughts. At the tip of your fingers you have the power to think and act collectively. It is, after all, a powerful tool for motivation, and connecting with others. By the end of the day it’s you who is the responsible for the content you share online. So, whenever and whatever you share, do it carefully… do it right.

Luckily, you don’t have to delete the platform altogether to ensure your data is safe. Here are some tips to beef up your privacy:

> Check the third-party apps connected to your account

Under General Account Settings, click on the Apps page to see a list of apps you’ve connected to your Facebook account. If you see an app you’re wary of, hover over it and delete it immediately.

> Opt out of Facebook API sharing altogether

On the same page as the Apps, scroll down until you see Apps, Websites and Plugins. Hit Edit to Disable Platform. This will sign you out of all websites, apps and other services connected to your Facebook account.

> Adjust your ad settings or delete interests to prevent ad targeting

Under General Account Settings, scroll down to the Ads page and click on Your Interests. On this page, Facebook uses the selection of interests across a variety of categories, including entertainment, news, hobbies and more to determine what ads you’ll see. You can hover over a selection to delete an interest, or, you can scroll down to Ad Settings.

Under Ad Settings, you have the option of adjusting:

- Ads based on your use of websites and apps (Can you see online interest-based ads from Facebook?)

- Ads on apps and websites off of the Facebook Companies (Can your Facebook ad preferences be used to show you ads on devices such as computers, mobile devices and connected TVs?)

- Ads with your social actions (Who can see your social actions paired with ads?)

> Log out of Facebook when you’re not using it

It’s a simple rule, but how often do you actually log out? According to Tom’s Guide, if you leave your Facebook logged in on your computer, it can still track your movements and share your information with advertisers and other parties.

> Limit who can see your posts, friends list and more under privacy settings

Under General Account Settings, click Privacy. There, you can limit who sees your future posts, your friends list or who can look you up using the email used on Facebook. You can also click on Timeline and Tagging Settings to adjust preferences for who can post on your timeline, see what posts are on your timeline and more.

> Turn off location services

Turn off location data to limit Facebook’s access and ensure your own physical safety. You can do so by going to General Account Settings → Location. Check your location services preferences on your smartphone as well.

> Download your Facebook data to see exactly what they know about you

If you’re concerned about the information you have out there, Facebook allows users to download a copy of their own data, including archived posts, messages and advertisements you’ve clicked on, according to Digital Trends.

How: General Account Settings → Download a copy of your Facebook data → Start My Archive.

To cool off after all this adrenaline rush and privacy concerns, grab yourself a mojito and why not give Spreadshop a spin?

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If you need any help or advice on launching your shop, feel free to comment below. Me or one of our evil geniuses will get you sorted out.