An apology to my Facebook followers

Should have done it years ago.

Goodbye facebook

In mid-2013, I left my cushy job at Sophos and started to work for myself. As part of that I created a Facebook page, where I posted links to articles, and built a community of folks who were interested in computer security and privacy issues.

I’m now closing that Facebook page.

For years I’ve been uncomfortable with Facebook, and called them out for their abuse of a userbase which is mostly unaware of how their personal information is being exploited.

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Facebook says it cares, but umpteen years of privacy scandals have proven that to be false.

Quitting Facebook is hard enough for many people, I don’t want to give anybody another reason to stay.

If you still want to keep up to date with me and the latest security news, here are some different ways:

1) My website: https://grahamcluley.com (there’s an RSS feed if you’re into them).

2) Twitter. 111,907 people follow me at @gcluley. You’re welcome to join them.

3) Weekly podcast. Listen to “Smashing Security” on Apple Podcasts, PocketCasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app. Or listen directly on the show’s website.

4) My email newsletter. A few times a week I send out a newsletter with interesting links about computer security and privacy issues. It’s free, and easy to unsubscribe if you decide it’s not your cup of tea. Sign-up here.

Enormous thanks to everyone who helped build up the community on Facebook, supported my writing, and contributed by leaving comments. I really appreciate everything you did, and feel bad that maybe I will lose contact with some of you.

I’m not stopping my fight to raise awareness of computer security and privacy issues – I’m just not doing it on Facebook anymore.

Now listen to this edition of the “Smashing Security” podcast, where I talk more about quitting Facebook:

Smashing Security #75: 'Quitting Facebook'

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts | Other... | RSS
More episodes...


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.

29 comments on “An apology to my Facebook followers”

  1. Simon Edwards

    Where's the Like button?

  2. xander

    It would be interesting to see what steps you took to close facebook and delete your profile (if its at all possible?)

  3. wolsonjr

    good move, now Duck needs to move the videos

    1. @duckblog · in reply to wolsonjr

      Hmmm. You can watch those videos without logging in, without having an account, and without being peppered with ads or related videos afterward (unlike another video service that Graham links to at the top of this page where he hasn't closed his account).

  4. Skyrde

    ”Quitting Facebook!

    About the author…..
    Follow him on …. Facebook.” O_O

    Br,
    Skyrde

    PS. The pony-tailed pundit isn’t the only one from FIN following :D

    1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Skyrde

      Thanks! I thought I had excised them all, but that one sneaked through. Now zapped!

      PS. Ilmatyynyalukseni on täynnä ankeriaita

      1. Skyrde · in reply to Graham Cluley
  5. Musashi

    I escaped Facebook and Twitter 4 years ago.
    Along with all the privacy and security benefits; you'll also save yourself a shed load of wasted time… that you spend productively on cat videos on YouTube…

  6. JJ

    What? That's how my family communicates. This means, cringe, I will have to pick up the phone and call.

  7. Dawwen

    Out of curiosity will you be simply deleting your page (and presumably the group) or are you going to corrupt your submitted data first as some suggest prior to deletion?

  8. sml156

    Is Twitter any better at privacy compared to Facebook, I seriously doubt it.

    If your really concerned about the least invavaceve way for your followers to follow you would be to push them to RSS as hard as you can.

    RSS is a simple and old protocol that has no provisions for advertisers and also site analytics

  9. Azurty

    I can't see any reason why the page couldn't of continued connected to an account with no personal information included. It's just like a shop front and one you have lost. An overreaction in my view when you could have managed it better restricting what Facebook could have. Anyway, good luck and I'll continue to see your stuff on other channels.

    1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Azurty

      "Quitting Facebook is hard enough for many people, I don’t want to give anybody another reason to stay."

  10. Ahmed

    You don't know what you'll be missing Graham … All them cat videos … good move! I shall soon be doing the same

  11. BaliRob

    I made the mistake of giving them back another chance – BIG MISTAKE

    In the past view days FB allowed a video of a woman chopping off a dog's front leg below
    the knee with a meat cleaver. The expression the dog gave was clearly a big question mark
    – why, why human have you done this to me? Having seen all of the atrocities done to man in
    my life – this had the worst affect upon me because – whereas the humans knew what Hitler
    and ISIS was about to do – the dog, with 5,000 years of relationship with mankind did NOT know –
    all it knew was TRUST !!

    Facebook has allowed the most obscene videos and speech imaginable and just disciplined those
    who swore too much perhaps. In my case, FB deleted two of my comments on one post accusing
    me of being a spammer – what?? Both I and my colleague were questioning the structure of the
    heading's grammatical spelling and meaning. I ask you ?

    Facebook is being run by people without the benefit of education or children it obviously wishes
    to employ – one look at the CEO's face during the past few days of Congressional Hearings have
    said it all – what have I spawned – how can I control it – I am lost?

  12. GC

    Well I have had a facebook account for years. The only thing you'll see if you view my account would be a profile picture of a scenery. That's it, not a single post, not a single personal detail shared. I at the most may use it to send a direct message to people whose contact number I do not have and get their contact details. The key thing by doing this is you won't then have an imposter claiming to be you by creating an account in your name and interlocking with your friends.
    You don't need to delete your account to stop using facebook, you can just lock it down and stop sharing anything on the site. Though I often do get tempted to delete my account, the opportunity to find certain lost contacts makes me want to retain my account, albeit in a locked down state.

  13. GC

    Further to my earlier comment, never really used your facebook page Graham. Though I am an avid reader of your website and your 'Smashing Security' podcast. Keep up the good work!!

  14. Pete

    The fact that Facebook refuses to make their "features" opt-in was all it took to convince me to dump my FB account.

    Every time I chose privacy settings that seemed reasonable, FB changed everything, essentially obliterating my privacy. I soon realized that those who value their privacy don't belong on Facebook.

    Glad to see that the principles you've been promoting have finally won out in your own choices.

  15. Alfonso

    Great move! You are not losing a thing.
    Keep up the good work.

  16. Alfonso

    Article posted in FA K E BOOK! HAHAHAHA

  17. Scott

    I shut mine down a year or so ago. Proud for you Graham!

  18. Lewis Henshall

    Hi Graham, I've spotted you still have the Facebook Open Graph meta tags from the Yoast plugin.

  19. Raffles

    Hi Graham,
    What do you think of VK.com as an alternative to Facebook?

  20. Cousin Dell

    Bravo Graham, I quit seven years ago and never looked back. Just recently I dumped Twitter too. Admittedly, both were more for social reasons (I happen to think social media has been a terrible thing for society for the most part) but certainly the recent security concerns have been a big issue too.

    Good move, and I'd like to see more opinion leaders taking the same stance that life still exists on the outside and little is worth the multiple costs of social networking…

  21. Robin

    I absolutely agree, Cousin Dell. I never really used FB except to view items of interest, and closed it a few months ago. I, too, believe that social media has been a dreadful thing "for the most part".

  22. Me

    But why Twitter? Is it really better? They ask for a cellphone from the "get-go"! My problema right now is that, after many years of using Facebook, it's FORCING me to enter a pone number. It's not letting me enter to use my account at all!!!

  23. Adrian

    But you keep the share FB button… you miss that?

    1. Graham CluleyGraham Cluley · in reply to Adrian

      The "Share to Facebook" button doesn't use any Facebook code, and – unlike many other sites – doesn't allow Facebook to track users visiting this site.

      Surely it's a good idea to let those still clinging onto FB hear the news as to why others have left? :)

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