Meta organizes session on privacy approach

News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on Thursday organized a session on its approach to privacy in Islamabad.

Privacy Policy Manager at Meta in Asia Pacific Arianne Jimenez briefed the journalists around the social media company’s policies to protect user data and information safety on its platforms.  Meta representative told reporters “Protecting people’s information is central to Meta’s vision of being a privacy-focused communications platform.”

Jimenez said, “Privacy is fundamental to how Meta business works, and that it’s everyone’s responsibility at the social media company.”

She said, “Meta is committed to giving people more control over their privacy choices. That’s why it has built tools to give people more transparency and control over how their data is used.”  Jimenez said, “Meta offers multiple tools and features to its users to help them control their privacy. The tools include privacy checkup, privacy shortcuts, manage activity, audience selector tools, who can look me up? and the privacy center.”

Jimenez stated, “The tools make privacy, security and ad control settings more accessible to the users, besides helping them decide who can see what they share and control how people find them on Facebook.”

The privacy policy manager said, “The privacy center is the educational surface for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger that provides helpful in-depth information on privacy.”  “Meta strives to help people understand its data practices by giving them more information and controls on its products and over ads, to ensure that personalized advertising and privacy are not at odds,” she maintained.

“It offers Ad preferences to let people take control of their preferences by adding, removing preferences set for them based on their profile information and activities on Facebook and Websites or apps used off-Facebook.

Meta tools, why am I seeing this ad? And Why I am seeing this post help people adjust their preferences by clicking on any ad or post on their News Feed.”

“Meta designs privacy controls into its products with guidance from experts in areas like data protection and privacy law, security, interface design, engineering, product management, and public policy.”

“It’s privacy team works to build these perspectives into every stage of product development so that people’s information can be kept secure,” she noted.  Tools on Meta platforms like Security check-up, Two-Factor Authentication, End to End Encryption and additional Accountability for ‘Third Party Apps’ ensure information security.

Jimenez said, “Meta gives people more control and choice over their data, and gives them tools for deleting anything they’ve posted or transferring data to other services because Meta believes that part of having a free and open internet means that people should be able to transfer their data to other apps and services they use.”

She clarified, “Meta doesn’t sell any user information to anyone. Partners and third parties who have access to certain data are required to follow rules about how they can and cannot use and disclose the information Meta provides.”

At Meta, the process of refining the privacy and security system was on-going and the company would continue to invest and innovate to give its customers the best user experience, said Meta representative.

For more details, users may visit Meta Privacy Center https://www.facebook.com/privacy/center.