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Guardian Angels

Facebook adds “trusted friends” security feature

Who do you trust the most? Facebook wants to know so you can keep your account safe.

FACEBOOK WANTS YOU to hand the “keys” of your account to your most trusted friends in case you get “locked out”.

The social networking site has started testing on a new tool which will let users give a number of their friends a special code that can unlock their account.

According to PC Mag, the website likened the so-called “guardian angel” feature to giving a friend a key to your house.

Facebook explains that on occasion, some people will lose access to their own account or have trouble logging in. If this happens, a code can be sent to “trusted friends” or “guardian angels” as Facebook calls them.

Users can pre-select between three and five friends through their Accounts Settings page. The tool will be rolled out in the next few weeks.

Third-party apps

As part of its efforts to eliminate security threats and spam, Facebook has also launched new app passwords.

As security issues relating to third-party apps have become more common, the site has added password options to some apps.

“There are tons of applications you can use by logging in with your Facebook credentials. However in some cases you may want to have a unique password for that application,” the company said.

To enable, go to Account Settings, Security tab, and the “App Passwords” section.

Read more: Growing numbers of Brits leaving internet passwords in wills>

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