Over the last few days or so it’s become apparent that there are some changes on both Facebook and LinkedIn that you might want to make sooner, rather than later.
The first involved LinkedIn creating a default setting was associated with the new Social Advertising we are starting to see rising up around the web (Google + is a great example of this too). What this means is that when you take an action on LinkedIn that involves following a company or perhaps recommending people or services, LinkedIn may use that ‘knowledge’ to pick the most relevant ads to show you on the network and it may also show their name and photograph next to the advert in question.
It also means that your information may also be used in such a way. Fortunately though, LinkedIn have provided a way of turning it off so that you will neither be shown such adverts, nor will you be displayed against these adverts either. To turn it off:
- Click on Settings in the drop down menu under your name in the top right hand corner of any LinkedIn screen
- Click on Account
- Click on Manage Social Advertising
- Uncheck the box that says “LinkedIn may use my name, photo in social advertising.”
You may also choose to turn off the enhanced advertising as well – this is a link underneath Manage Social Advertising.
The second is in the security settings you can find in Facebook and you have the ability to choose whether to access your Facebook account via secure session (https) or an insecure session (http) – if you are unsure of the difference, https is used by banks and online stores to encrypt the data that passes over the network and means that your login details are secure.
To use a secure setting on Facebook:
- click on Account and then Account Settings from the top right drop down menu from any Facebook page you are logged in to.
- Select security from the left hand menu
- Click Edit next to Secure Browsing
- Check the box that says “Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) when possible”