Facebook Privacy Controls

Parents can use current news to start important conversations. The popular social networking company, Facebook, made some changes recently that mean you need to be more active in protecting your privacy on that site. FB is tracking your interests and sharing that information with ‘partners’. So far, this includes Pandora, a music website, Yelp, a referral and recommendation website and a Microsoft document system. Here’s a chance to review the news with your children, find out what they know and take steps to protect your family’s privacy.

This article in the May 13 Personal Tech section in the New York Times – lays out the grid of how to navigate through the 50 privacy settings you need to choose. If you don’t choose, Facebook will automatically offer your information to their social network partners. Suggestion: Look at this grid with your children. It gives a very good picture of how many steps you need to take to keep your information under your control.

Common Sense Media offers many resources to help parents figure out what is going on in the world of technology and media. Here are some common sense rules regarding Facebook you can review with your children to agree what works best for you in your household. Technology is changing so quickly, plan on regular conversations will your children to keep current on what they need to know.

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/3-rules-facebook-privacy?utm_source=newsletter05.013.10&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=feature1

Common Sense Media offers some overall online rules to discuss with your children. Technology changes the world your children live in and they will quickly figure it out. Probably before you do.
Use Rules of the Road from Common Sense Media.