Facebook Profile Lock Introduced in India to Protect Your Privacy: How it Works

Facebook has introduced a new safety feature in India that will now enable users to "lock" their profiles completely so that only their friends can see the posts, photos, and videos. The latest move by the tech giant is aimed to give users, especially women, more control over their Facebook experience.

“We are committed to providing a safe platform for people to express themselves. We are deeply aware of the concerns people in India, particularly women, have about protecting their online profile. Today, we are announcing a new feature which, in one easy step, will give people a lot more control, ensure their privacy and keep them safe and secure online," Aankhi Das, Policy Director, Facebook India, said.

Facebook Profile Lock: The Features

Facebook said that locking a profile applies multiple layers of existing privacy settings and several new measures to a user's Facebook account with a few taps. Once enabled, people who are not friends will not be able to see photos, posts, both old and new, or zoom in, share and download profile pictures as well as cover photos. Moreover, an indicator in the form of a blue badge will be added to the user's profile page to remind that their profile is locked.

“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. 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.” said Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research.

How to Find The Lock Profile Option on Facebook?

Users will first have to go to their profile page and tap more under their name. The "Lock Profile" option will be then available to the users which they will have to tap if they wish to lock their profile from non-friends. Once confirmed, the profile page will be locked. Interestingly, this new profile security update arrives after three years, when Facebook rolled out "Profile Guard" options for users. Under the "Profile Guard" option, non-friends can neither enlarge the display picture nor download it after viewing a user's Facebook profile page.