Privacy is one of the defining social issues of our time: Meta

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, recently held a press briefing in Dhaka where representatives of the tech giant spoke candidly regarding its initiatives to protect the privacy of its users in the region.

During the session, representatives from Meta's Asia Pacific region, Arianne Jimenez, Privacy and Public Policy Manager and Fahad Qadir, Policy Communications Lead, South Asia, connected virtually and talked about Meta's proactive initiatives to mitigate the privacy concerns of its users. Shehzeen Choudhury, Communications Manager for Meta in Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, was also present during the session.

Meta launched its Privacy Centre earlier this year with five modules: Security, Sharing, Collection Use and Ads. The Facebook parent mentioned that the Privacy Centre will now be available in Bangla for the native speakers to understand their privacy options.

Meta's Privacy Centre aims to educate users on their privacy options. It also provides access to the help centres for Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram, so that users can get a clear picture of how they can take ownership of their activities online.

The Facebook owners also spoke about the importance of personalised ads, and how the platform helps users to customise their ad preferences based on their interests. 

Meta also advised users to take a quick look at their security settings and enable crucial features like two-factor authentication, switching on login alerts for unrecognised login activity, and setting strong passwords to ensure their safety on the platforms.

In response to queries from the media, the Meta authorities mentioned that they strictly follow their Community Standards to provide users with a place to express themselves. However, Meta takes strict action if any malicious content surfaces on the platform that goes against its Community Standards.