Dezeen Magazine

Facebook Cafes: Facebook to open pop-up cafes in Uk

Facebook to open pop-up cafes to give users privacy checkups

Social media company Facebook is opening five pop-up cafes across the UK where visitors can get a privacy checkup and a free cup of coffee.

Branded Facebook Cafes, the temporary advice centres will be open in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Brighton and Cardiff between the 28 August and 5 September.

Facebook Cafes: Facebook to open pop-up cafes in Uk
Visitors to the Facebook Cafes will be offered a privacy checkup and a free coffee

At the cafes, which will be located within existing coffee shops, Facebook users will be offered advice on how to personalise their privacy settings. Visitors who participate in the privacy checkup will be given a free drink – either a cappuccino, americano or mint tea.

"At our pop-up cafes you can get help and advice on how to change your privacy settings – and all in the time it takes to make a cup of coffee," said Steve Hatch, vice president of Facebook northern Europe.

Facebook Cafes: Facebook to open pop-up cafes in Uk
In Manchester the Facebook Cafe will be located in Takk

According to Facebook, numerous social media users do not know how to customise their privacy settings, with more than a quarter of users in London unaware.

The company hopes that the cafes will help them gain an increased understanding of its settings.

"It's normal to worry about who can see the things you share on social media, but not everyone knows what they can do about it," explained Hatch.

"That's why we have made customising your privacy settings on Facebook quick and easy."

Facebook Cafes: Facebook to open pop-up cafes in UK
The Cardiff pop-up will be at Coffee Barker

Each of the five cafes will be located within an existing coffee shop – The Attendant in London, Takk in Manchester, The Flour Pot Cafe in Brighton, Union Brew Lab in Edinburgh and Coffee Barker in Cardiff.

Visualisations show each of the locations being branded with simple Facebook Cafe signage in black or grey placed above the counters, above doors and in the windows.

Facebook Cafes: Facebook to open pop-up cafes in UK
In London the pop-up will be located in The Attendant in Shoreditch

Facebook has launched the cafes as there is increasing attention on digital privacy as well as criticism over the social media company's protection of users' private data.

In 2018 it was revealed that political consulting company Cambridge Analytica had harvested millions of people's personal data from Facebook without their consent.

This led to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apologising and pledging to make changes to protect users data.

The company recently redesigned its website with the aim of putting privacy at the forefront of the site.