The social media site said this week it is going to start pushing ads to every single person who uses third-party sites signed up to its advertising scheme.
As Facebook uses your information and how you act - whether you are signed up to the site or not - you might want to revise what information you are sharing with people.
It isn't just your profile that will need amending, but here are a few ways you can clean it up to get started and protect your privacy.
See the things you need to stop doing now:
1. Phone number:
Don't put your number on your Facebook page - even when it prompts you. If if you add it and keep it hidden, you'll still get the prompts.
Plus, you know, stalkers.
2. Birthday:
I know you guys will start asking, "but how will my friends it's my birthday". The truth is that your real friends will know when it's your birthday.
Also your birthday is part of the puzzle scammers need to access your personal details and bank account.
Keep it off your Facebook - or risk losing your money once they get your name (easy peasy) and address.
3. Keep it to real friends:
Robin Dunbar, an Oxford psychology professor, has said humans can maintain about 150 stable relationships at once.
He looked at 3,375 Facebook users, he found out of their Facebook friends, 4.1 were seen as dependable, and 13.6 showed sympathy during an “emotional crisis.”
Time to clear out that Facebook and keep it to the people you know - and trust.
4. Relationship status:
Once upon a time, no relationship was real until it was confirmed on Facebook, but these days it's better to keep that loving feeling to yourself.
People have already cottoned on to how adverts appear suddenly promoting wedding dresses and venues as soon as the engagement post goes up on the social media site.
Just save it for your friends.
5. Credit card details:
I don't think there's even any need to explain why you need to keep you credit card details out of facebook.
6. Your boss:
This should be fairly obvious, but having your manager or boss on Facebook has various pitfalls. Like them seeing your nights out, or any interactions, rants, or that excuse you made for not going to work for three days.
It's fine to relax and have a bit of fun, but when all your workmates are watching it's probably best to minimise the embarrassment and keep it fairly clean.
There's been many a tale of interviews going horribly wrong after a CEO or interviewer takes a look at the candidates profile.
7. Stop tagging your location:
Whenever you tag your location you're giving away a lot of information. Whether you're in your house, where you live, your kids school, etc. Just don't share this particular information.
8. Photographs of your children or young family:
There's many reasons for this, but the most obvious are:
a) they aren't consenting, and
b) your photos can often be seen by friends and then friends of their friends
Think about who you want to have access to your photos.
9. Where your children go to school:
It just sends up a big flag as to what your children are doing, where they are and when. Keep it private and don't post this.
10. Location services
I call this "The Trojan Horse" of the internet. With the accuracy of GPS these days, so much information is being given out by this singular act.
For Android or iPhone users, switch off your location settings. Most of us access Facebook via our phone, which means you could be letting everyone know your location.
Best to keep it quiet. Switch it off.
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