This statement refers to how changes made to Facebook’s privacy settings do not retroactively apply to posts and information already shared on the platform. When users post status updates, photos, videos, or other content to Facebook, that information is initially shared according to the privacy settings in place at the time. If those settings are later changed to be more restrictive, it does not remove or limit access to what has already been posted.
Background on Facebook Privacy Settings
Facebook allows users to control who can see their profile information and posts through its privacy settings. Some key options include:
- Public – Anyone including people off of Facebook
- Friends – Your Facebook friends only
- Friends except… – Specifying exceptions to who can see certain content
- Specific friends – Only people you select
- Only me – Just yourself
When users initially sign up for Facebook, their privacy settings start off as public by default. Many users end up sharing posts, photos, and other information openly before realizing they need to lock down their privacy settings.
How Privacy Settings Apply to Past and Future Content
When you change your privacy settings on Facebook, it only applies to content and information posted after that point. Anything shared under your previous settings will remain visible to the audience it was initially open to.
For example:
- You join Facebook with a public profile and post status updates viewable by anyone.
- A few months later, you restrict posts to Friends only going forward.
- The old public statuses remain public, but new ones are now only visible to your approved friends list.
Why Facebook Doesn’t Retroactively Change Privacy
There are a few reasons why Facebook does not retroactively lock down access to content already posted under less restrictive settings:
- Logistically difficult: Facebook has billions of users with years of accumulated posts, photos, videos, and other content. Adjusting visibility settings on such a massive backlog of existing data points would be incredibly challenging.
- Shared content: Much of the information users post has often already been shared, embedded, or downloaded by others. Trying to put those genies back in the bottle would likely be impossible.
- User expectation: When people post content publicly, they expect it to remain public barring deleting it themselves. Changing access rules unilaterally would go against what users anticipated.
- Legal issues: Facebook could open itself up to legal action if content people posted under certain impressions of visibility were to suddenly become inaccessible.
How to Lock Down Past Posts on Facebook
While retroactively limiting access to existing content is not an option, there are still steps Facebook users can take to gain more control over old posts:
- Review and remove: Check your previous posts and delete anything you no longer want public. This fully removes it from Facebook.
- Change audience: For major status updates, photos, or life events, you can manually change the audience after the fact.
- Untag yourself: Photos or posts you are tagged in can be untagged to disassociate them from your profile.
- Update restrictions: Set profile and search privacy settings to help limit what people can see about you.
Best Practices for Facebook Privacy
To protect your privacy on Facebook going forward:
- Review privacy settings frequently and whenever Facebook makes changes.
- Be selective in what you share publicly vs with friends only.
- Avoid oversharing personal information like phone numbers, addresses, birthdates, etc.
- Customize settings for individual posts when appropriate.
- Consider privacy with every photo you tag someone in or are tagged in yourself.
- Don’t friend strangers or accept all friend requests.
The Value of Facebook’s Privacy Policy
While Facebook’s privacy controls may not always be intuitive, the company does clearly explain how changes work in its data policy:
“When you update your privacy settings, we’ll apply your changes going forward, such as when you post new things or add new friends. But your privacy settings won’t affect things you’ve already shared with people who can still see them.”
This policy provides transparency into how Facebook operates. It underscores the importance of being thoughtful about what you post from the start. While you can’t retroactively remove access to things you post in the future, you can delete items or change the privacy settings on a case-by-case basis.
Conclusion
Facebook’s statement about privacy changes not impacting past posts highlights that once something is shared online, it can be impossible to fully regain control. The best approach is being cautious about what you share publicly right from the start. Regularly check your privacy settings, limit personal details, and self-audit your profile. With some forethought, you can comfortably manage your privacy without having to rely on changes being applied retroactively.