Facebook rolls out a privacy checkup to all users to make sure they’re not sharing too much

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Over the next few days, Facebook users will see a ‘Privacy Checkup’ appear when they log in.

The tool, which began rolling out yesterday, will help users review their privacy settings and control who they are sharing their content with.
The system uses a blue dinosaur which guides Facebook users through three steps to navigate its maze of privacy settings.

The first step will allow users to review and change the default audience for their status updates.
It will then go over Facebook-connected apps, and finally review and edit different items on a profile.

‘We know you come to Facebook to connect with friends, not with us,’ Facebook’s Paddy Underwood said in a blog post.
‘But we also know how important it is to be in control of what you share and who you share with.’
Facebook announced the plan in June in its latest response to concerns about privacy, following criticism over its data mining practices for marketing purposes.

The social network, which has grown to more than a billion members worldwide, has been dogged by privacy issues for years.
It has also been fighting lawsuits claiming it fails to ensure personal data is safeguarded from marketers and third-party apps.
The group agreed with a US government agency to submit to external audits of how well it guards users’ data.
But Facebook has faced a backlash in recent months after it forced its users to download its Messenger app.

Many raised concerns about the app’s permissions, that give Facebook access to send texts and make calls on the user’s device.
According to Google Play, the app has access to find accounts on the device, read contacts, access the user’s, as well as edit, read and receive text messages.
Other permissions give Facebook the ability to directly call phone numbers, modify or delete files on USB storage, take pictures and videos, record audio, download files without notification, control vibration and change network connectivity.

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