Facebook is rolling out a new safety feature in India that allows users to lock their profiles from people who aren’t their friends.
To protect users in India from catfishing and other misuses of their information, Facebook is rolling out a new safety feature that lets them lock their profiles from non-friends. The new profile lock feature is for everyone to use, but is especially useful for girls and women who want to have more control of their experience on the platform.
As Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director at Facebook India, explained, “We are deeply aware of the concerns people in India, particularly women, have about protecting their online profile.”
When activated, profile lock stops people who are not friends from viewing photos and posts, as well as zooming in or downloading a user’s profile picture or cover photo. Instead of delving into specific privacy settings, users can lock their profile in just a few taps – limiting non-friends’ behavior on their profile.
Related | Twitter Tests New Way To Restrict Who Takes Part In Your Conversations
“We have often heard from young girls that they are hesitant to share about themselves online and are intimidated by the idea of someone misusing their information,” said Ranjana Kumari, Director at New Delhi-based women advocacy group Centre for Social Research. “I am very happy to see that Facebook is making efforts to learn about their concerns and building products that can give them the experience they want. This new safety feature will give women, especially young girls, a chance to express themselves freely.”
To activate the profile lock, a user needs to tap on “More” under their name, then tap the “Lock Profile” button and confirm when the prompt appears.
The new feature is an extension of a similar one from 2017, that helped protect users from catfishing, called Profile Picture Guard. The feature lets users protect their profile image from being zoomed into and shared.
According to reports, the profile lock feature is currently also available to users in Bangladesh.
You might also like
More from Facebook
Meta Is Killing Its Messenger For Apple Watch App
Meta announced it will remove the Messenger for Apple Watch app on May 31 “After May 31st, Messenger won’t be available …
Meta Verified Service Goes Live In The US
Want to get the coveted blue verification checkmark on Facebook and Instagram? If you're in the US, now you can. …
Facebook And Instagram Start Selling Blue Checks With Meta Verified
Meta Verified will give you a blue check badge on both Facebook and Instagram, along with other benefits for $12 …
Meta Brings Back #BuyBlack Friday For A Third Year
Meta is bringing back #BuyBlack Friday for a third consecutive year in North America. Meta emphasized the importance of the Holiday …
Facebook Is Giving You More Controls Over What You See On Your Feed
Facebook is introducing new "show more" and "show less" controls to let you adjust what you want to see on …
Meta Introduces Facebook Reels API, Offering An Option To ‘Share To Reels’
Meta has introduced the Facebook Reels API, a solution allowing developers to build a 'share to reels' option into their …
Facebook Gets Into Delivery With DoorDash Partnership
DoorDash is partnering with Meta to pilot Facebook Marketplace deliveries across multiple cities in the U.S. Drivers will only transport items …
Meta Rolls Out Horizon Worlds In France And Spain
Meta Horizon Worlds, the VR community and game, is now available in France and Spain.
Meta Refreshes Facebook Groups With New Features
Facebook Groups now have an updated invitation system to reduce admin workloads and limit sharing of misinformation.
