Facebook Says Revamped Tutorial Helps Users Better Control Privacy, Security on Website

Facebook revamped a tutorial aimed at helping users better understand and enhance their privacy and security on its website. In a Thursday news release, the company said the "Privacy Basics" site, which provides 32 interactive guides in 44 languages, can help users quickly find information about privacy topics such as who can see their photos, comments and friends, plus tips and tools like managing privacy settings, advertising and security. "This is part of Facebook’s overall effort to make sure you have all the information you need to share what you want with only the people you want to see it," said Facebook. The improvements are part of the annual Data Privacy Day, on Saturday. In a separate announcement, Facebook said it also improved which videos will be presented on the site's news feed based on viewer engagement. Product Manager Abhishek Bapna and Research Scientist Seyoung Park wrote in a blog post the company will consider "percent completion" of a video. "If you watch most or all of a video, that tells us that you found the video to be compelling -- and we know that completing a longer video is a bigger commitment than completing a shorter one," they wrote. They said they don't expect significant changes in distribution, but longer videos may get a slight bump while shorter videos a slight decrease. The change will be rolled out over the next few weeks.