16 Things You Need To Know About The Facebook Data Breach

I don't want to alarm you here, but there's no way around it: Facebook's been leaking your data like nobody's business.

You might not think your information is all that important, but it serves as invaluable demographic information for advertisers.

It's a big deal. Here's what it's all about, as well as what you can do to protect yourself.

1. A shady data mining company is behind this.

Cambridge Analytica, a data analysis company used by various political campaigns, reportedly used vast amounts of personal information, without permission, from Facebook users. Christopher Wylie, who helped found the company, said Cambridge Analytica has an "arsenal of weapons."

2. It's been linked to Brexit, Trump, and Russia.

Cambridge Analytica is currently under investigation in both the United Kingdom and the United States over its role in the Brexit withdrawal from the European Union and Donald Trump's presidential campaign — and potentially Russian interference — respectively.

3. This is a really big deal for Facebook.

Unlike most Facebook controversies, which tend to blow over, this one is sticking around. Facebook's Chief Information Security Officer, Alex Stamos, has seen his role change, but denies reports that he's left the company.

4. It's raised all sorts of privacy concerns.

With the data from over 50 million profiles improperly accessed and used, it begs multiple questions. Who's accessing this data? Which data is it accessing?

We'll tell you how to achieve some level of peace of mind and protect yourself.

5. As always, check your privacy settings.

A great first step is to disable platform apps. You can do this by going to App Settings, clicking the Editbutton under Apps, Websites, and Plugins, and clicking Disable Platform.

6. You can also control the personal info apps can use.

When you approve an app, it can see tons of your info by default. From the App Settings page, you can modify which info is shared.

7. Don't give a lot of info in the first place.

Facebook is leaky, so if you value your privacy, it's probably worth limiting the info you share — stuff like your birthday, employer, and education details.

8. Don't give your location away.

The Facebook app, aside from being a battery hog, tracks where you are. The best way around this creepiness is simply to delete it from your phones and tablets.

9. Chill out on the activity.

Every bit of activity — every like, comment, and share — is logged by Facebook. It gives advertisers all sorts of info, and it's probably worth limiting this activity.

10. Figure out how ads are targeting you.

Facebook tracks you even when you're not on the website. You can remedy this by going to Ad settings and modifying how advertisers can interact with you.

11. Limit your logins.

It's super easy to turn on "Log in with Facebook" for various accounts (like Spotify). On the Settings page, under Apps, you can review the services you've authorized, and change them accordingly.

12. If you're going to delete your account, take these steps first.

Facebook is full of data — some you want to keep, some you'd like gone forever. We'll tell you how to logically get rid of your Facebook account.

13. Delete, don't deactivate.

Facebook doesn't really want you deleting your account, which is why they push the 'Deactivate' option. Go to this link to delete it forever — but not before following a few steps.

14. First, download your stuff.

Fortunately, there's a handy-dandy way to download all of your old statuses and photos and so on. Under General Account Settings, just select the link at the bottom of the page.

15. If you're going to delete, realize what this means.

Facebook is great for coordinating social events and remembering birthdays — so if you're deleting your account, you'll need to develop a new system for this stuff. Email, anyone?

16. Facebook hasn't really responded yet.

This is a full-blown scandal, so Mark Zuckerberg's hasn't issued his usual response — a pledge to do better — just yet. But we'll likely see something soon from Facebook.