Facebook to give users tips on protection of privacy

Ahead of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming up in May 2018, popular free social networking website, Facebook has announced plans to make provision for protection of the privacy of its users.

It said it was publishing its privacy principles for the first time and rolling out educational videos to help users control who has access to their information.

The announcement is coming ahead of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) slated for on May 25.

The videos will show users how to manage the data that Facebook uses to show them ads, how to delete old posts, and what happens to the data when they delete their account, Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer at Facebook, said in a blog post.

Facebook, which has more than two billion users worldwide, said it had never before published the principles, which are its rules on how the company handles users’ information.
Egan added that it will demonstrate what happens to the data when they delete their account. The move marks the biggest overhaul of personal data privacy rules since the birth of the internet.
Under the GDPR, companies will be required to report data breaches within 72 hours, as well as to allow customers to export their data and delete it.

Facebook’s privacy principles, which are separate from the user terms and conditions that are agreed when someone opens an account, range from giving users control of their privacy, to building privacy features into Facebook products from the outset.