Facebook is rolling out heightened security measures in 2021. But there’s a catch: only certain users will be given access to the security features.
Facebook Protect Eligibility Will Expand in 2021
A report by Axios revealed that Facebook plans on amping up security measures in 2021. Facebook will be expanding its Facebook Protect feature to more users in the coming year.
Facebook Protect was made available during the 2020 US elections, and is currently only available to political candidates, elected officials, federal and state departments, party committees, and political staff.
Enrolling in the program offers users enhanced security on Facebook and Instagram. It allows the platform to “quickly detect any potentially suspicious account activity by monitoring for attempts to hack the account.” The platform notes that Facebook Protect is specifically designed to make accounts harder to hack, stating:
We are constantly looking for ways to stay one step ahead of bad actors. While we may never be able to catch every bad actor, this program is one of several steps we’re taking to make it harder for account compromises to occur.
Come 2021, Facebook plans on expanding Facebook Protect to more users. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, said that journalists, celebrities, and human rights activists will become eligible to use Facebook Protect.
Facebook believes that these types of accounts, along with the accounts affiliated with politicians, are at a higher risk of being compromised. Axios reported that over 70 percent of Facebook users involved in the 2020 US elections used two-factor authentication, which likely helped prevent hackers from accessing these high-profile accounts during the election.
In addition to the expansion of Facebook Protect, the platform may also give out physical security keys to politicians and policymakers. Physical security keys are one of the most secure forms of two-factor authentication, as they bar anyone who doesn’t possess the key from logging into your accounts.
Facebook may also give regular Facebook users the ability to purchase physical security keys for the site. After buying a key in-store or online, you’ll be able to register them on Facebook and assign it to your account.
Looking Back on Facebook’s Election Response
Facebook enacted a number of safety measures before and during the 2020 US election, and its rollout of the Facebook Protect program was one of them.
In addition to protecting the accounts of candidates and politicians, the platform also tightened its reigns on misinformation. Facebook’s strict content moderation policies have been put in place to prevent the spread of false claims across the site.
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