Have you received an email from Facebook informing you that you must turn on Facebook Protect? If that’s the case, you might be wondering what Protect is and why you were chosen to activate it (and what will happen if you don’t). What you need to know about Facebook Protect is outlined below.
Is Facebook Protect Safe to Use?
You could easily mistake the email for a phishing hoax. “Your account requires advanced security,” Facebook warns, and you must act swiftly by clicking on a link. When you add in the strange Facebookmail.com domain, it’s got shady written all over it.
Facebook has a tool to verify official communications from the company, but oddly, the Facebook Protect email did not appear in this tool for the handful of PCMag staffers who received it recently. Go to Settings > Security and Login (Password and Security on mobile) > See recent Facebook emails to find out.
Nonetheless, this request is legitimate. For all official communications, Facebook utilizes the domain Facebookmail.com. If you’re worried about clicking on a link, go straight to Facebook and you’ll be invited to turn on Facebook Protect.
What Does Facebook Do To Protect You?
Facebook Protect adds an extra layer of protection to accounts that the company considers to be at risk. It was created to assist elected officials, political candidates, and their employees in avoiding account hacks that could aid in the dissemination of disinformation. With the possibility of a Russian cyberattack increasing and the US midterm elections in 2022 looming, Facebook has expanded the initiative to cover anyone with a large number of followers, a connection to major Pages, or who are influential in the community.
The application simply assists customers in setting up two-factor authentication and makes threat monitoring easier. In addition, all Page admins must complete the Page Publishing Authorization procedure, which requires them to secure their accounts with 2FA and validate their primary country locations in order to reduce the spread of false information. Page administrators must also use their real names and are not allowed to have any other accounts on the network.
What Happens If I Don’t Register?
If you’ve been invited to activate Facebook Protect but haven’t done so by a specified date, your account will be frozen until you do so. (It won’t be deleted; it will be frozen, and you won’t be able to do anything with it.) The last set of emails appear to have a deadline of March 17, 2022, although deadlines may change.
What Is Facebook Protect and How Do I Use It?
Clicking the email link or in-app message is the simplest way to enable Facebook Protect. Otherwise, on the web, go to Settings > Security and Login > Facebook Protect is Off, and on the app, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Password and Security > Facebook Protect is Off.
Facebook will verify your account for vulnerabilities, such as password strength, as part of the enhanced security offered by Facebook Protect. If there is a problem, select Fix Now. If you don’t have two-factor authentication turned on, you’ll be prompted to do so by clicking Turn On and selecting an authentication method.
Utilizing an authenticator app, which creates a random verification code, receiving your code through text message, or using a physical security key are all possibilities for authentication. Choose your preferred method, and Facebook will ask you to use it to verify your account.
You can change your authentication method under Security and Login (web) or Password and Security if you need to (mobile). If prompted, enter your Facebook password after selecting Set up two-factor authentication. If you lose your phone and are unable to get a verification code, you can choose an alternative authentication method or create a recovery code from this screen.
What if I wasn’t asked whether I wanted to turn on Facebook Protect?
There’s nothing you need to (or can) do before the deadline if you weren’t directly alerted by Facebook to enable Facebook Protect. You won’t even see the option to enable the function in your settings until Facebook directly invites you to join up.
In 2022, Facebook plans to expand the program globally, although the exact nature of that growth is still unknown. In the meantime, if you haven’t done so previously, the best you can do is set up two-factor authentication.
