As the dust settles on the latest Facebook privacy debacle, there is no question people are more and more concerned about what Facebook knows about them and is sharing with others.

Many of us have shared, liked, tagged and commented on some of our most private thoughts, our political opinions and pictures of friends and family.

Even knowing that, though, some of the privacy uproar seemed a little over-dramatic. What did users think Facebook was doing? They asked for info about us and we provided it. Facebook encouraged us to share so it could gather more and more info about our likes, desires and feelings.

It was all for micro-targeted ads. This has been Facebook’s business plan from the beginning – to become a major advertiser platform.

Still, like many others, in the past few days , I started digging through and deleting Facebook apps I hadn’t used in years that were still collecting data.  It was a cumbersome process but now I was anxious to see what content I shared without realizing it

I learned when I added The New York Times I “gave” them permission to take ownership of any of my photos and even photos by others that I saved in my photo gallery. According to the data, they accessed more than 1,900 photos I had taken since I downloaded the app years ago. These included photos I never intended to be seen or shared outside of my friends and family.

Here is a screen shot from my phone showing what the NY Times wants. (The app automatically opts you in for all of the info. This is a screen grab after I opted out. )

It’s disturbing. What photos have you “lost” to others via Facebook apps? Where are they and how can they be used? What rights do you have if they use the photos? (Pinterest also has access to all of your photos.)

As someone who works in the digital space, I felt foolish for not realizing what I had done. But who wants to read a lengthy privacy statement before you download an app? You want to use it “right now.”

Oh, BTW, if you delete an app, the data “given” to the app has already been shared. It’s beyond your control.

Hopefully, my omission may help viewers and users.

Facebook is rolling out new settings and privacy options and they’re now showing up on devices.

Here are a couple of action steps you can take to help:

  • Show users how to navigate through the new features and how to dig into the app settings to see exactly what is being shared. Also, create a video you can post on your revenue sites with links and mentions on your Facebook pages.  Share the info.
  • Engage with users and see what questions they have about their privacy and app security. These questions could be good fodder for on-air or online discussions.

It’s hard for users to know what they don’t know about Facebook and privacy settings. You can be their connection to help them feel more secure about social media.