We use Facebook everyday to be connected with one another around us. And because of that, there are users who misuse the avenue for spamming. Earlier in May, Facebook announced that it has taken feedbacks from users regarding the matter seriously, and is on the same page as most of us: it doesn’t want you to over-share.
It is now ready to prove just that.
Facebook is now asking all 1.3 billion of its users to complete a privacy checkup over the next few days. Some of you might have gone through the online exercise already: a simple review where you review who you are sharing your information with on Facebook.
You’ll see the option to take the Privacy Checkup when you visit Facebook in the coming days. You can click “Let’s Do It!” to do the Checkup; it should only take a minute or two.
There are three steps: The first step helps make sure you’re sharing with the right people, the second step shows which apps you’ve logged into with Facebook, and the final step helps you review and edit the privacy of key pieces of information on your profile.
“Earlier this year, Facebook started alerting users who share posts publicly to review their settings, but the company has never actively asked users to check their app permissions or bio information,” said Paddy Underwood, a product manager on Facebook’s privacy team.
None of these privacy controls are new — Facebook is simply drawing attention to them in a new way: through its blue dinosaur.
Why a dinosaur? Choosing an extinct creature to represent privacy, Facebook says the icon generated far more engagement from users when tested against a boring lock.
Paddy also said that in a pilot program with a “small number” of Facebook users, 75% of people who started the check-up actually completed it, and 76% said it was helpful.
What about mobile users? According to Facebook, more than 30% of its 1.3 billion monthly active users are pure mobile only users, so they wont be able to access the privacy checkup notification. According to Paddy, Facebook will come out with a mobile version of the checkup after feedbacks from the desktop version have been collected.
This means that the blue dinosaur will soon be coming to smartphones too.