ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

The aim of this activity is to teach students to protect their data online. To do this, the teacher shows students step-by-step how to change their privacy settings on the internet and social media.

Start with one social network and slowly go through and make the changes to the account.

Objectives:

• Make students aware of the simple steps they can take to protect their online and social-media privacy.
• Show students how to do this on one social network so they can do the same on others.

INTRODUCTION

Step 1: Making students aware

1. Log into your Facebook account from your computer or smartphone.

2. See for yourself how well Facebook ‘remembers’ works: https://www.facebook.com/memories. On this page, Facebook lets you see content (photos, life events, and posts) by the date they were posted and the friends that are tagged. You can also decide to hide these memories by clicking on Hide Memories so that you never see suggested memories for you to post.

3. In the menu on the top of the page, click on Activity Log. You will see all of your Facebook activity and posts from other people that you have been tagged in. You explore the options on the left-hand side of the screen, such as Posts, Timeline Review, and Activity You’re Tagged In. You can change or delete your posts and tags by clicking on them.

4. View and download all of your personal data: Go to the menu at the top of the page and click on Settings, then click on Your Facebook Information in the left column.

Step 2: Changing your account’s privacy settings

1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. Open the menu on the top of the page, then click on Settings. In the left column, click on Privacy. Limit your audience by selecting who can see your posts: depending on your preferences, choose Friends, Friends Except Acquaintances, or Close Friends if available.
3. Remaining under Settings, click on Timeline and Tagging in the left column to limit who can post on your timeline and how. Select Only Me or Friends according to your preference.
4. Under Settings, click on Public Posts in the left column. If you wish, select Friends for each option.
5. Under Settings, click on Apps and Websites in the left column. Select the apps that you no longer use and delete them.
   
   Note: Deleting a Facebook-linked app may also delete your account for that app. For example, if you log into the travel website Booking.com via Facebook, you may lose your Booking.com account and all of your hotel reservation information.
   
   
6. Repeat the previous step for the options in the left column Instant Games and Business Integrations. The same risks apply.
7. Under Settings, click on Ads to limit targeted ads. Explore all of the options, especially the Your Information section. Explore the About you and Your categories tabs.

Finally, strengthen your password (choose one that is long and secure with a minimum of 8 characters). Choose a password that you do not use for any other account. Open the menu at the top of the page, then click Settings, followed by Security and Login and finally Change password.

Geolocation and Facebook

If you have Facebook installed on your mobile device, you may have authorised Facebook to track you without your knowledge!

To check this from your computer, go to Settings and click on Location in the left column. If you have activated geolocation, Facebook will show you the history of your movements!

Step 3: Do the same for your other social media accounts

The steps you take to change your privacy settings on a social network may vary depending on the device you are using (computer, smartphone) and the operating system (iOS, Android).

• To change your Instagram settings from your smartphone: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings (at the bottom of the menu) > Click on Privacy and Security > Explore the different options.
• To change your Twitter settings from your computer or smartphone: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings and privacy > Click on Privacy and security > Explore the different options.
• To change your Pinterest settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Change settings > Be sure to look at your basic account and social media settings.
• To change your YouTube settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings > Be sure to look at your Account History and Privacy.

To do more, check the settings for the Google account that is linked to your YouTube account: https://myaccount.google.com/privacy

• To change your LinkedIn settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo in the menu at the top of the page > Click on Settings and Privacy > Be sure to look at the Privacy and Ads tabs.

Step 4: Changing your browser settings

To add another layer of protection to your privacy and block ads, you can download browser extensions.

Different settings and extensions are available to you depending on the browser you use.

1. Block ‘third-party cookies’. You can find instructions for this on WikiHow: https://www.wikihow.com/Disable-Cookies

2. Install an ad blocker, such as AdGuard, AdBlocker, AdBlock or uBlock Origin. Enter ‘ad blocker’ and ‘extension’ into your search engine along with the name of your browser, for example: ‘ad blocker extension Firefox’.

Note: Installing an ad blocker might cause certain websites to not function properly. You can temporarily deactivate ad blockers by changing the options in the blocker you have installed.

3. Use a private browser window to avoid targeted ads. Enter the keywords ‘private browser’ followed by the name of your browser into your search engine, for example: ‘private browser Chrome’.

The top results will show you how to use a private window in your browser. Private browsing does not make you anonymous. It means that it will not save your search history, cookies, or the information you have entered into forms on your device.

Downloaded files and favourites are saved. Your activity remains visible to the sites you view (to compile statistics), your employer, or your school as well as to your internet service provider.

4. Activate ‘Do Not Track’: Enter the keywords ‘Do Not Track’ into your search engine followed by the name of your browser, for example: ‘do not track Firefox’.

The top results will show you how to activate the ‘Do Not Track’ option on your browser.