Facebook Safety

Facebook aspires to be an environment where people can interact safely with their friends and the people around them. We have implemented many safety and privacy controls on Facebook as part of our goal to enable people to share their information with only the people they want to see it. And we are constantly improving our systems for identifying and removing inappropriate content and people from the site.

Children under 13 years old are not permitted access to Facebook. In addition, parents of children 13 years and older should consider whether their child should be supervised during the child's use of the Facebook site.

Despite Facebook's safety and privacy controls, Facebook cannot guarantee that its site is entirely free of illegal, offensive, pornographic or otherwise inappropriate material, or that its members will not encounter inappropriate or illegal conduct from other members. Consequently, you may encounter such content and conduct. You can help Facebook by notifying us of any nudity or pornography, or harassment or unwelcome contact by clicking on the "Report" link located on pages throughout the site. Where confidential complaints are made through this site reporting tool, Facebook will use best efforts to remove the offending content or conduct and to warn or, as appropriate, to bar from the site those transmitting such content or engaging in such conduct within 24 hours of receiving your complaint. Where complaints about nudity or pornography, or harassment or unwelcome contact are made by independent email to abuse@facebook.com, Facebook will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and begin addressing your complaint within 24 hours of receipt. Facebook will report back to you within 72 hours of receiving your email complaint to inform you of the steps Facebook has taken to address the complaint.

Click here to contact the Independent Safety and Security Examiner (ISSE) regarding Facebook's complaint handling procedures. Please note that if you have not previously made a complaint to Facebook you should not use this link. Facebook is solely responsible for complaint handling, and you should address all complaints or reports of abuse directly to Facebook using the procedures described on this page.

We need all users to report suspicious people and inappropriate content they encounter on Facebook. And we strongly encourage users under the age of 18 to talk to their parents or a responsible adult immediately if someone online says or does something to make them feel uncomfortable or threatened in any way.

Remember that although using fake names is a violation of the Facebook Terms of Use, people are not always who they say they are. You should always be careful when sending friend requests to, or accepting friend requests from people you do not know in the real world. And it is always risky to meet anyone in person whom you don't know through real world friends.

Always follow these important safety tips when using Facebook:

  • Never share your password with anyone
  • Adjust your privacy settings to match your level of comfort, and review them often
  • Be cautious about posting and sharing personal information, especially information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline, such as your address or telephone number
  • Report users and content that violate our Terms of Use
  • Block and report anyone that sends you unwanted or inappropriate communications

For Parents:

Facebook strongly urges parents to talk to their children about the dangers they may encounter online, and to make sure their children are using Facebook in a safe manner. Parents may want to install monitoring software on home computers if they are concerned about what their children are doing online. Children must know that they should report any inappropriate or offensive Facebook content to their parents and to Facebook using the tools made available through the site. Parents should always remind their children to follow the important safety tips listed on this page when using Facebook.

More information regarding Internet safety can be found on the following sites:

Safety FAQs

For Users:
How can I be safer on Facebook?
First, don't give out your password to anyone, not even your significant other or best friend. Be sure to customize your privacy settings on the Privacy page if you are uncomfortable being found in searches or having your profile viewed by people from your school, workplace or regional network. Remember, unless you're prepared to attach something in your profile to a resume or scholarship application, don't post it.
I'm receiving unwanted messages. What should I do?
There are a few things you can do:
  1. You can anonymously report messages by clicking on the "Report Message" link under the the name and picture of the sender when viewing a message. Facebook will review your complaint and will act to ensure all users comply with our Terms of Use so that Facebook remains a trusted environment where people can interact safely.
  2. You can easily block any user on Facebook from seeing or contacting you by entering their name in the Block People section on the Privacy page.
  3. You can limit the people who can find you in searches, which in turn limits who can message you. You can also prevent people from messaging you from your search listing. Both options are available on the Search Privacy page.
I'm receiving unwanted Wall postings. What should I do?
There are a couple of options available:
  1. You can remove any offensive Wall postings by clicking on the "Delete" link that appears on each posting.
  2. If you would like to prevent the individual from leaving any more unwanted postings, just remove the person as a friend from the Friends page. Only your friends can post on your Wall.
What do I do if I find an explicit, hateful or otherwise objectionable profile on Facebook?
We don't want any content like this on Facebook. You can help us out by notifying us of any objectionable profiles. You can anonymously report offensive profile pictures and content by clicking on the "Report this Person" link located at the bottom of the profile page. You will be asked to specify the offensive content. Facebook will review your complaint and will act to ensure all users comply with our Terms of Use so that Facebook remains a trusted environment where people can interact safely.
What do I do if I find an explicit, hateful or otherwise objectionable group on Facebook?
You can anonymously report offensive group pictures and content by clicking on the "Report Group" link located under the group's picture. You will be asked to specify the offensive content. Facebook will review your complaint and will act to ensure all users comply with our Terms of Use so that Facebook remains a trusted environment where people can interact safely.
What do I do if I see something explicit, hateful, or otherwise objectionable in a "Posts" box?
You can anonymously report offensive Posts by clicking on the "Report" link located under the saved material. You will be asked to specify the offensive content. Facebook will review your complaint and will act to ensure all users comply with our Terms of Use so that Facebook remains a trusted environment where people can interact safely.
What do I do if someone has posted an objectionable photo on Facebook?
You can anonymously report photos that violate our Terms of Use (e.g., pornography or copyrighted images) by clicking on the "Report This Photo" link below the picture. Facebook reviews these complaints and takes down photos as necessary. It is not a violation of our Terms of Use to post a photo that is unflattering, so please don't report a photo just because you don't like the way you look in it.
What do I do if someone has posted a photo of me that I don't like?
Facebook will only remove photos that violate our Terms of Use (e.g., pornography or copyrighted images). However, there are some things you can do if you don't like a photo of you on the site:
  1. To remove your name from a particular photo, simply view the photo and click the "Remove Tag" link next to your name. It will no longer be linked to your profile.
  2. Remember that you can only be tagged in photos by your friends. If you are having problems with someone constantly tagging you in embarrassing photos, just remove them as a friend from the Friends page.
  3. If you don't want the photo to be shown at all, please talk to the person who posted it. They should be respectful enough to remove unwanted photos. Unfortunately, Facebook cannot make users remove photos that do not violate our Terms of Use.
What do I do when someone has identified me as being in a photo that I'm not in?
Simply view the photo and click the "Remove Tag" link next to your name. It will no longer be linked to your profile.
What if I see a hateful or otherwise objectionable Note on Facebook?
You can anonymously report offensive note content and photos by clicking on the "Report This Note" link located below the text of each note. You will be asked to specify the offensive content. Facebook will review your complaint and will act to ensure all users comply with our Terms of Use so that Facebook remains a trusted environment where people can interact safely.
I saw an explicit, hateful or otherwise objectionable ad on Facebook. What do I do?
Please email advertise@facebook.com to report that ad. We will use our best efforts to remove any ads that violate our Terms of Use.
For Parents:
How can I gain access to my child's account?
Facebook is generally forbidden by federal and many state laws to give unauthorized access to someone who is not an account holder. If you are a parent or school official, we encourage you to use software tools on your own computers to assist in overseeing your child's Internet access. Please do a search for computer-based Internet control technology on your preferred search engine to discover options that you may wish to pursue.

If your child is under 13 and you believe they have created a Facebook account, however, the Childrens' Online Privacy Protection Act gives you the right to access personal information they have provided before Facebook follows its policy of promptly deleting such data. You may access and direct the deletion of such data by having them sign into the account and then deactivating the account, or by making a request by email to Facebook. Please send requests to privacy@facebook.com with the subject line "COPPA Data Request".
What if my child sees inappropriate content or offensive material?
Facebook takes the safety of its users very seriously and takes significant efforts to take down any objectionable material that may be posted on the site. We encourage users to report offensive profiles, messages, groups and photos. Reported items are then reviewed by customer support representatives and removed if deemed in violation of our Terms of Use. Users may also block others from finding them in searches, viewing their profile or sending them messages.
What kind of privacy controls do you have?
Facebook is based on networks that correspond to high schools, colleges, workplaces and geographic regions. Each user's profile can be seen only by those in the same network or by people in other networks who have been mutually confirmed as friends. Every Facebook user has the ability to customize his or her privacy settings. This allows users to limit who can view their profile (e.g., everyone in their networks, some people in their networks, or only their friends) and to choose who can see specific parts of their profile (e.g., their contact information, their personal favorites, their work history, etc.).
How should I help my child use this site wisely?
The best thing to do is to talk to your children and teach them Internet safety. Remind them to:
  • Never share their password with anyone
  • Understand their privacy settings
  • Report people that violate our Terms of Use
  • Block anyone that might be sending unwanted content
What other resources are available regarding Internet safety?