Facebook seems like a great way for kids to stay connected. But before you let your kids use the social media app, it’s important to understand that Facebook exists to make money. They don’t really care about anyone’s privacy — and that includes your kid’s privacy. And that’s why Facebook parental controls aren’t really that advanced.
The social media juggernaut wants to know everything they can about your kids. And the more connections kids have and the more they engage, the better it is for Facebook.
But as a parent, you have a duty to protect your child. And that goes beyond knowing how to block inappropriate videos on Facebook. Or just monitoring their Facebook Messenger. You wish to block all kinds of content. And strangers. Because there are billions of them waiting to connect.
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Start With Facebook’s Built-in Privacy Tools
Does Facebook have parental controls? Sort of. They provide basic settings that let you tighten up their profile and remain a little more hidden than Facebook would like. While they aren’t foolproof, and while there are more things you can do for controlling Facebook content, this is a great place to start.
Turn off locations
One of the first Facebook parental controls you’ll want to take advantage of revolves around location tagging. While location settings should be set to off by default for users under the age of 18, if your child put in an incorrect birthday when setting up their account, these settings may be on.
Control who can see their posts
When it comes to parental Facebook monitoring, you’ll want to make sure only people you approve can see their posts. You never know who might be viewing their pics or reading their status updates.
That’s why it’s important to make sure that only ‘Friends’ can view their posts. Avoid choosing ‘Friends of Friends’ or ‘Public’ for Facebook post visibility.
Decide what others see
If you don’t want strangers seeing their updates, then the parental controls on Facebook you’ll want to adjust is ‘Your profile privacy’. Head there to make sure that they aren’t sharing their phone number, birthdate, email address, their school, and other crucial information.
Remember, the more information they share, the more strangers will know about them. And that could cause serious trouble both online and in the real world.
Control who gets to send them a friend request
Before you dive into how to set up a Facebook account for a child, you need to know that anyone with a Facebook account can send your child a friend request. Yes, even strangers.
You can block friend requests entirely, but if you want to help your child expand their social circle, ‘Friends of friends’ is the setting that makes the most sense. Keep in mind, however, that if one of your child’s friends happens to be friends with a stranger, this setting won’t stop them from being contacted.
How Private Are They? Find Out with a Privacy Checkup
If you want to see how private (or not private) your child is on Facebook, it’s a good idea to run a Privacy Checkup. Here’s how:
- Click the down arrow at the top right of Facebook.
- Click Settings & Privacy.
- Click Privacy Checkup.
That’s it. Now you’ll be able to see who can see info on their profile, who can see past posts and future ones, and the people who might already be on their blocked list.
Take Parental Facebook Monitoring Further With Eyezy
For those looking to take Facebook privacy to a more secure level, consider Eyezy. The parental control app shows you what they’re up to on all kinds of social media.
With Social Spotlight, you can look at their Facebook Messenger conversations. We’re serious. Every chat that takes place on Messenger is yours to review.
When you log in to your Eyezy Control Panel, you’ll have access to all their conversations, just as they appear on Messenger, complete with the words, pictures, and videos they share. There’s support for other chat apps, too, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and Tinder.
You also get access to Keystroke Capture, which shows you everything they type in Facebook Messenger. And the screen recorder tool takes snapshots of their activity as they use their phone, so you can see a visual representation of their chats and review messages that were deleted.
Eyezy + Facebook Parental Controls = Perfection
When you pair the built-in Facebook parental controls with Eyezy, you don’t have to worry about using Facebook restricted mode to keep them safe. Let them live their digital life and take comfort knowing they’re doing it safely and responsibly.
There’s a lot more to love about Eyezy than just Facebook monitoring. Check it out and find out why more and more parents are choosing the most advanced parental control app on the planet.
