New & Updated Resources on Facebook Privacy & Safety

We recently had the exciting opportunity to collaborate with Facebook on their international roundtables on Women’s Online Safety and were able to participate in three of these events in Washington, DC, Hyderabad, India, and New York City. The roundtables featured leading voices from many of the nation’s gender based violence (GBV) organizations as well as government representatives from various countries.

The roundtables were devised to create space for GBV organizations to contribute to the broader conversation on how Facebook in particular can engage the voices of women and create a safer environment for women to use the platform without fear of harassment and threats.  The goals of the roundtables were:

1. To share existing Facebook tools women can use to help with privacy and safety.

2. To share innovations Facebook is currently working on to improve the user experience. 

3. To hear concerns from the field on what users are experiencing. 

4. To create a network for GBV organizations to foster continuous conversations and provide a support structure for women users. 

The roundtables included conversations around Facebook’s Real Name Policy. Facebook has strongly backed their long-standing policy for users to be authentically identified by their real names. This policy also minimizes the ability for abusers and perpetrators to hide behind fake accounts and increases the likelihood that abusers misusing the platform to harass, threaten, or stalk a person can be held accountable. The policy has received some push-back, however, and Facebook addressed the various steps they have taken to allow some flexibility for individuals who are going by a different name in their everyday lives than their legal name.

All of the meetings discussed counter speech, which is used to combat negative comments posted on an account. By using counter speech, users can ask their audiences to post positive comments and help manage some of the negative, threatening, and harassing comments they are receiving.

During the roundtables, Facebook and Safety Net introduced the new Guide to Staying Safe on Facebook. This guide is a condensed version of the Privacy & Safety on Facebook: A Guide for Survivors of Abuse, providing short and concise tips on privacy and safety settings. Both resources can be found in our Privacy & Safety on Facebook page of the blog.

The roundtables were an incredible success. We appreciate the opportunity Facebook provided for global GBV organizations to convene and share their concerns. We will continue to foster collaborations between technology companies, government organizations, and non-profits to help eradicate violence against women in all forms, including in online spaces. To learn more about the roundtables and all of the great topics discussed, visit #HerVoice. Also, check out our video series on Facebook Privacy, Security and Safety!

Celebrating Data Privacy Day – Ask Before You Post

January 28th is internationally recognized as Data Privacy Day. This day began as, and continues to be, a way to create awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information—a crucial component of survivors’ safety.

Obtaining privacy over personal data can seem almost impossible in today’s digital age. A significant amount of our lives is online, and even our offline activities seem to emerge online… somehow, whether we want it to or not. I gave a presentation recently and the organizers took photos and posted them in a public photo album that included my full name. But this is not an isolated event, this has happened several times in my work. During another presentation, attendees were tweeting out my quotes followed by my full name. At no point was I asked for my permission. It becomes my responsibility to actively reach out and communicate any privacy needs. It’s usually just assumed that people are ok with sharing their lives on the web. This is unfortunate. For survivors of abuse, whose privacy is directly linked to their safety, staying on top of what people and companies do with their personal information can be downright exhausting.

We need to shift our collective thinking around data and privacy. Just because it can be online, does not mean that it should be. People often feel bad or uncomfortable asking others to remove online posts or requesting basic information about privacy policies. It’s time to flip the narrative on this. It’s ok to share privacy needs and requests. It’s ok to ask for content to be removed. Privacy is critical to safety for survivors, but survivors shouldn’t have to disclose safety concerns for their privacy to be considered or taken seriously. If we approach this from a privacy-first framework, we can actually start protecting privacy instead of chasing after it.

We’ve all heard tips about protecting our own privacy. That list is everywhere. Let’s celebrate Data Privacy Day differently this year - let’s consider some steps we can take to protect other people’s privacy. If we can create this shift in culture, our own privacy will also be more protected.  

1.       Ask before you post pictures of, or content about, other people.
Not everyone wants their information or images online - Or maybe they don’t care if it’s shared with a limited audience, but prefer that it not have a public audience. You can never assume. Even your selfie-obsessed friend deserves privacy.

2.       Ask before you post pictures of, or content about, other people’s kids.
I know this one can be hard. I mean, do they not see how adorable their kid is? Or how adorable my kid is sitting next to their kid? Privacy over cuteness, people. We have to get our priorities straight.

3.       Think before you share something that was sent to you and ask for permission.
Just because someone shared it with you or on their Facebook page, doesn’t mean they want it shared with everyone you know.

4.       If you run a business or organization website or social media site – ask before you post content that is personally identifying.
Even better, create policies and practices around how you ensure full consent.

Do you see a pattern here? Asking before sharing is the fundamental part of ensuring that people are in control of their privacy. It’s easy to think that we’re all just a needle in a haystack and wonder what issue could possibly come from a simple post or tag. But we live in a world of search engines and even if your page doesn’t have many followers, that content can pop up with a simple Google search. Changing how we treat other people’s information will transform our own privacy risks in the future. Join us in creating a culture of respect and consent in regards to privacy.

Erica Olsen
Deputy Director, Safety Net Project 

Tech Tips for the Holidays

This holiday season, I hope you get lots of presents! Or at least one thing you really want. If one of those pressies is a brand new technology device – say the newest iPhone, Kindle Fire, or tablet – here are some security and privacy tips.

Linked Account(s)

Many devices are associated with some kind of account.  You may have to create a new account or link an email address to the device.  Make sure you know whose account it’s linked to—preferably yours. Choose a username or email and password that only you will know.  

Go Through the Settings

This can be a bit boring (so grab some hot chocolate or eggnog), but spend some time going through the settings. Not only will this help you learn all the options and features on your brand new tech device, it also allows you to see what kind of security and privacy controls you have.

Was it Used?

I love hand-me-downs! But when it comes to tech, it’s important to make sure that all previous accounts and data have been removed. Do a full reset of the device to delete everything and get it to factory settings. Not sure how to do it? Just google “How to reset [your device name here].”

Go Through the Apps

Most smart devices allow you to download apps or additional software onto the device. Make sure you know what’s on there, especially if someone else set it up for you. If you come across an app that you know you won’t use or aren’t sure about, consider deleting it.

Update Passwords

If you asked someone else to set up anything up for you (the service, account, apps, etc.), and you gave them your username/passwords, consider changing your passwords afterwards. Yes, the holiday season is all about giving – but this doesn’t apply to your passwords and privacy! So remember that even if someone is nice enough to gift you with a fun device, it’s yours, not theirs.

We hope you all have fabulous holidays with lots of good cheer & yummy food!

~ Safety Net Team