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Facebook Redesigns Settings Page, Scatters Privacy Options

The update started rolling out August 4

By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 5, 2021 04:24PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Social Media Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Facebook announced on Wednesday it has started rolling out a redesign of its Settings page, claiming it wants to "make…tools easier to find." This new redesign has led some, like tech news site TechCrunch, to be skeptical about Facebook's goals. TechCrunch pointed out that Facebook made a 2018 decision to make privacy tools easier to find by centralizing them into Privacy Shortcuts. The new direction makes it seem that Facebook has gone back on that earlier decision. The new location of the privacy settings is unknown, and TechCrunch points out that users will have to scour through the new settings menu to figure out how to configure privacy. The Settings redesign also has relocated several other settings so they are alongside related topics. Settings will now be grouped into six different categories: Account, Preferences, Audience, Visibility, Permissions, Your Information, and Community Standards and Legal Policies. For example, the News Feed will now be under Preferences. Facebook claims it also has improved its Settings search function to make finding certain configurations easier. According to Facebook, the new categories were created and named to closely resemble "people’s mental models," referring to what category a user would think of when searching for a specific setting. This decision was made based on data from TTC Labs, an online data resource owned by Facebook. Facebook Facebook did create a “Privacy Checkup” shortcut that will be located at the top right corner of the new landing page for easy access to privacy settings. TechCrunch theorizes the redesign is a way to push people away from those privacy settings. A study published in 2018 by the Norwegian Consumer Council details the ways tech companies like Facebook redirect people away from privacy and manipulate them into giving up sensitive data. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Make Facebook Private How to Disable Facebook's Facial Recognition Feature How to Unblock Someone on Messenger How to Hide Your Page Likes on Facebook How to Block Searches of Your Facebook Profile How to Get Unblocked on Facebook How to Prevent Strangers From Seeing Your Facebook Profile How to Add Groups to Your Shortcut Bar on Facebook How to Add or Remove Shortcuts on Facebook How to Turn Off Comments on a Facebook Post How to View Blocked Profiles on Facebook How to Control iPhone Safari Settings and Security How to Clean up Your Facebook Profile How to Find Someone on Facebook Using an Email Address How to Share a Facebook Post to Instagram The iPadOS Versions Guide Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies