Even if you are not one of the millions of people getting a message from Facebook that your account information is compromised, there are steps you should be taking to ensure your privacy.
That’s according to Beauceron Security CEO David Shipley, who says you should be regularly reviewing your privacy settings on all social media platforms, not just Facebook.
“Things that you should be doing is restricting your information to only your friends, not your friends of friends,” says Shipley. “You should lock down what apps you’re using, and carefully review what apps have access to your account, and if you’re no longer using a product, a service, or Facebook game, get rid of it.”
He has also sensed a great feeling of powerlessness among Facebook users asking what they can do.
“I truly encourage people to discuss this issue with their kids, with their family members, in the community, and talk about the protection of privacy,” says Shipley. “Privacy still matters very much, it’s not dead.”
Shipley also recommends sharing your concerns over privacy with your Member of Parliament, since Parliament is more likely to prioritize issues about which they hear the most from citizens.
“And if enough people speak up and say ‘I’ve had enough with these large multinational companies abusing my privacy and taking advantage of my goodwill, I want some laws, and I want them to be accountable’ our only option is at the federal level,” says Shipley.
He adds Canadian legislators should look to Europe for guidance, where progressive, ‘people protecting’ privacy laws already exist.
Facebook announced Tuesday a ‘Data Abuse Bounty’ program, where members of the public are eligible for rewards for reporting app developers misusing data.