Facebook rejigs privacy settings after Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal

Facebook rushes to push its privacy tools among users as it faces widespread criticism over Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal.

Facebook makes it easier for users to find privacy tools (REUTERS)

Facebook has announced new changes to the social networking platform that are focused on making privacy settings and other important tools more visible to users. The new changes are part of the company's efforts to make the platform more secure and sensitise users about the privacy tools after it was found that a UK-based firm Cambridge Analytica harvested profiles of 50 million users for Donald Trump's election campaign in the US.

"Last week showed how much more work we need to do to enforce our policies and help people understand how Facebook works and the choices they have over their data. We've heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important tools are too hard to find and that we must do more to keep people informed," wrote Erin Egan, VP and Chief Privacy Officer, Policy and Ashlie Beringer, VP and Deputy General Counsel in a blog post.

They pointed out that the new changes are in addition to the announcements made by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on making the platform more secure for its users.

Facebook's new data settings and tools

The revamp is focused on making these available tools easily available to users which otherwise have been buried under Settings of the app. Facebook said it has completely redesigned the entire settings menu to make things easier to find for users.

"Instead of having settings spread across nearly 20 different screens, they're now accessible from a single place. We've also cleaned up outdated settings so it's clear what information can and can't be shared with apps," the Facebook executives wrote in the blog post.

The update also includes a new privacy shortcuts menu giving users to access to these important tools with a few taps. The shortcuts, however, redirect users to the existing tools such as two-factor authentication, review the personal information shared, manage who can see your posts and profile and control the advertisements you see on the platform, among others.

Old privacy setting vs new privacy setting (Facebook)

Old privacy setting vs new privacy setting (Facebook)

Access your information

With this new tool, users can now easily find and manage their older content which includes posts, reactions, comments, and other things they have searched for.

"We're also making it easier to download the data you've shared with Facebook - it's your data, after all. You can download a secure copy and even move it to another service. This includes photos you've uploaded, contacts you've added to your account, posts on your timeline, and more," added the blog post.

Going forward,

Facebook has announced that it will soon be updating its data policy to better spell out what kind of data it has access to and how it uses. The company also reiterated that it will continue to work with regulators, legislators and privacy experts on improving these privacy tools and updates.