Adults
Staying Safe on Facebook
Staying safe online
Setting privacy and safety controls
Facebook connects you with family, friends and interest groups, and lets you share moments from your life. What you post, see and interact with can shape your online experience. Learning how Facebook works and adjusting your settings can help you stay safe online.
How can Facebook’s feed affect you?
Your Facebook feed is personalised. It learns from what you like, comment on, share and search for.
While Facebook tries to filter out content that breaks its community rules, you may still come across posts that:
Involve cyberbullying, harassment or doxxing
Pressure you to think or act in a certain way
Share extreme opinions or promote harmful stereotypes
If your feed starts to feel overwhelming or negative, that is a sign to adjust your settings to protect yourself.
How can you protect yourself on Facebook?
Review your settings can help you manage what you see, who can contact you, and how much time you spend on the app.
Choose what you see
Tap “Not interested” on posts (opens in new tab) you do not want to see more of
Hide inappropriate content (opens in new tab) that you find upsetting or offensive
Filter out or hide comments or keywords (opens in new tab) that bother you
Unfriend (opens in new tab) accounts that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe
Control who can see your content and interact with you
Conduct a "Privacy Checkup" (opens in new tab) and review the personal data visible on your profile
Lock your profile (opens in new tab) to show only a limited view of your profile content to people you are not friends with on Facebook
Choose who can friend and follow (opens in new tab) you, or comment (opens in new tab) on your posts
Manage who can see your content (opens in new tab)
Manage tags (opens in new tab) and decide who can see posts you are tagged in (opens in new tab)
Add people to your "Restricted List" (opens in new tab) to limit what they can see
Block accounts (opens in new tab) you do not want to interact with
Report inappropriate content or behaviour (opens in new tab)
Watch your screen time
Set daily screen time limits (opens in new tab) to get a reminder when you have spent a certain amount of time on Facebook
Notice how Facebook makes you feel after long sessions
Take breaks when scrolling starts to feel overwhelming
What else can you do when something does not feel right?
Sometimes, certain content or interactions may cause discomfort and make you feel unsafe.
When that happens, remember:
You do not have to respond or explain yourself
Saving screenshots or links can help if you want to report harmful behaviour
Blocking or reporting is okay
Getting support early can prevent things from getting worse
Where can you learn more about Facebook’s safety tools?
Visit these resources to find out more about staying safe on Facebook:
Facebook Help Centre: (opens in new tab) Get help with your account, settings and security, and find answers to common questions
Meta Safety Centre (opens in new tab): Explore tips and resources to help you navigate Meta platforms safely
You can also explore other online safety resources on our website for more advice on staying safe online.