Feb 5, 2010 4:00 pm US/Pacific
Tech Minute: Facebook's Privacy Settings
CNET Editor Molly Wood Looks At Facebook's Privacy Settings
By CNET.com Executive editor Molly Wood
SAN FRANCISCO (CNET) ―
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CNET.com's Molly Wood walks users through personalizing their Facebook privacy settings.
CBS
Social networks are a lot of fun, but they can also be dangerous.
A whopping 70 percent more companies reported receiving spam and viruses through online social networks in 2009 than in the previous year.
On top of that, privacy advocates criticized Facebook for its new privacy settings which went into affect in December.
So what are the three Facebook settings that you should know to keep yourself safe?
First, know who can see the things you share. The new Facebook default setting for this option is "Everyone," which means everyone on the Internet, according To CNET.com's Molly Wood.
Wood suggests changing that setting to "Only friends." Facebook users can do this by first logging in and then clicking Settings, then Privacy Settings and then Profile Information.
The second most important setting Wood says is who can see your personal information. Under the same Profile Information area, users can change that setting to "Only friends."
Finally, under Search options, Wood suggests unchecking the box marked "Allow" next to Public Search Results.
Facebook does defend its privacy settings as flexible, but some users might not appreciate having the defaults set to "Everyone."
If you want to protect yourself and your friends, take five minutes to protect yourself on Facebook.
More:
Molly Wood, executive editor at CNET TV, is the host of the CNET's Buzz Report and Mailbag, co-host of Gadgettes, occasional host on Buzz Out Loud, and ranter on all things tech-related.
(© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.)
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