Know the Laws:
UPDATED May 21, 2013
The only way to be sure that you will not reveal personal or confidential information about yourself on social media sites is to stay off of social media. However, if you do maintain an online presence, there are some things you can to do to control who sees your information. Please consider the risks before creating a profile on a social media website.
Note: Facebook changes their Privacy Settings on a regular basis and information you set as private may become public with these changes. You can stay up to date through the Facebook Security Center.
- Basic information
- Safety on Facebook
- Safety with Twitter, MySpace and blogs
- Additional resources about safety with social media
Safety on Facebook
back to topHow do I prevent someone from seeing my Facebook profile?
If there are certain people who you do not want to see your information, you can either "unfriend" them if they are already your friend or block them completely. [NOTE: It is possible to be friends with someone yet limit the amount of information they can see. Due to the continuous changes in Facebook privacy settings, the specifics of this function are frequently changing. If you want to learn more about how to do this, check out the Facebook Safety Center.)
“Unfriending” someone: If you are already friends with someone but you no longer want him/her to see your profile, you can “unfriend” that person which means s/he will only see your profile as someone who is not your friend (i.e., just your photo, your city, etc.). S/he will not be notified through Facebook when you do this, but if s/he checks your profile, s/he will probably realize you two are not friends anymore. To “unfriend” someone, hover the cursor over "Friend" on the top right of the person's profile and scroll to the bottom of the drop down menu to click "Unfriend".
Block someone: Blocking someone will mean that s/he cannot see any of your activity on Facebook, including your profile or things you write on other people’s walls. This is the best way to keep your information safe from someone if you plan to remain on Facebook. Go to the drop down menu on top right > Privacy Setting > Blocked People and Apps > Manage Blocking > Type the person's name or email address > Click Block.
back to topSomeone is harassing me on Facebook. What do I do?
If someone is harassing you on Facebook, you can Block/Report that person to Facebook. Reporting someone on Facebook is anonymous and simultaneously blocks this person, which means neither he/she or you can see each other's presence on Facebook. On the right side of the user's page is a drop down menu that has a Block/Report option. Read more at Report Abuse and Policy Violations through the Facebook Help Center.
You may also want to consider getting off Facebook temporarily or permanently. To deactivate your account: Drop down menu on top right > Account Settings > Security option on top left > Deactivate your account > Confirm.
back to topCan I get an order of protection against someone who is stalking or harassing me on Facebook?
Maybe. Depending on your state’s criminal laws and what type of harassing or threatening messages are sent to you or written about you, you may be able to report it to the police and have the person arrested. To do so, you would likely need to print out the harassing comments so that they are preserved for any possible future prosecution. For the legal definition of stalking and harassment in your state, go to the Crimes page in your state.
Depending on your state, the harassment or stalking might also qualify you for a restraining order. Go to our Restraining Order page and click on your state in the drop-down menu to find out. Printing out the harassing comments can also be useful in a restraining order hearing too.
To get specific information on whether your situation might qualify you for a restraining order or qualify as stalking or harassment in your state, you may want to Find a Lawyer in your state. You can also send a message to our Email Hotline and we can research this question for you.
back to topCan I permanently delete my Facebook profile?
Facebook answers this question in detail on their Help Center section. To permanently delete your profile, you can login into your account and submit a form to Facebook.
Another alternative is you can deactivate your account, which will remove it from Facebook but all your information (info, pictures, etc) will be saved internally. Later, if you want to rejoin Facebook, you can re-activate your account. Read more about deactivating your account.