Is It Safe To Use Facebook To Log Into Websites?
Many websites that you need to log into now offer a simple one click button to log into their website using your Facebook account. Using Facebook to log into websites is a very convenient feature because you do not need to fill out a form and you do not need to remember the password for the website.
How does it work?
When you click on the sign up with your Facebook account button you are being asked to agree to a specific set of permissions to give up some of your private information to the website in order to login. You are giving the website an access token to your Facebook account. This includes giving them your basic information (usually just your name), email address, date of birth, friends list and sometimes your location. Make sure you are comfortable giving up this information. Usually, this is the same information you would give when filling out the sign up form rather than using Facebook.
Is it safe?
As long as you are happy with the permissions you are giving up to the website, then the answer is yes. The risks are very minimal. However, there are some things you can do to protect yourself. On a regular basis you should review the privacy and security settings on your Facebook account. Go to: www.facebook.com/settings and go to apps. The websites you have logged into with your Facebook account will show up here as apps. By clicking on each one you can edit the permissions or privacy settings for each. You can also delete the websites you no longer visit.
Review your security and privacy settings on your Facebook account to make sure your privacy is protected. From the security tab you can set an alert anytime someone logs into your Facebook account so you know when your account is being accessed. Also, in the security tab you can use your phone to set your login approvals so that anyone accessing your account has to put in a code.
By going over your security and privacy settings on Facebook, you can make sure you are safe to continue using the convenience of Facebook to log into websites that offer this feature.