Facebook has introduced for the first time a list of ‘Privacy Principles’ ahead of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) coming into effect across Europe.

From 25 May 2018, the GDPR will give consumers greater access to and control over how their data is collected, used and shared. Companies will also be required to report data breaches within 72 hours and allow customers to export their personal data and delete it .

The social media platform is on a mission to educate and inform users about how to get the most out of Facebook whilst protecting their own privacy and data. Tips on how to delete old posts and images and information about how their data is shared with third parties are expected to be built on over the coming weeks and months.

The penalties on Facebook, other internet giants and all organisations operating within Europe for failing to meet the demands of the GDPR are greater than they have been under the existing Data Protection Regulations which were introduced over 20 years ago.

From May, organisations which do not follow the new laws may see fines of up to four per cent of global annual turnover or €20m (£17.6m), whichever is the greater. For Facebook, which is expected to report 2017 earnings of $40.25bn, that is a huge sum.

The ‘principles’ are below and can be seen here, but all users will see videos and messages appearing in their newsfeed over the coming days. In light of recent stories of old social media posts coming back to haunt today’s celebrities, you will no longer be able to say you haven’t been warned.

Facebook’s Privacy Principles

Facebook was built to bring people closer together. We help you connect with friends and family, discover local events and find groups to join. We recognize that people use Facebook to connect, but not everyone wants to share everything with everyone – including with us. It’s important that you have choices when it comes to how your data is used. These are the principles that guide how we approach privacy at Facebook.

We give you control of your privacy

You should be able to make the privacy choices that are right for you. We want to make sure you know where your privacy controls are and how to adjust them. For example, our audience selector tool lets you decide who you share with for every post. We develop controls based on feedback from around the world.

We help people understand how their data is used

While our Data Policy describes our practices in detail, we go beyond this to give you even more information. For example, we include education and tools in people’s day-to-day use of Facebook – like ad controls in the top right corner of every ad.

We design privacy into our products from the outset

We design privacy into Facebook products with guidance from experts in areas like data protection and privacy law, security, interface design, engineering, product management, and public policy. Our privacy team works to build these diverse perspectives into every stage of product development.

We work hard to keep your information secure

We work around the clock to help protect people’s accounts, and we build security into every Facebook product. Our security systems run millions of times per second to help catch threats automatically and remove them before they ever reach you. You can also use our security tools like two-factor authentication to help keep your account even more secure.

You own and can delete your information

You own the information you share on Facebook. This means you decide what you share and who you share it with on Facebook, and you can change your mind. That’s why we give you tools for deleting anything you’ve posted. We remove it from your timeline and from our servers. You can also delete your account whenever you want.

Improvement is constant

We’re constantly working to develop new controls and design them in ways that explain things to people clearly. We invest in research and work with experts beyond Facebook including designers, developers, privacy professionals and regulators.

We are accountable

In addition to comprehensive privacy reviews, we put products through rigorous data security testing. We also meet with regulators, legislators and privacy experts around the world to get input on our data practices and policies.