Meta merges apps and device accounts under one system

Did you wake up to an email from Meta recently about your new Meta Account?

Or maybe you received a pop-up message on your Facebook or Instagram account?

Well you're not alone.

In April, Meta announced it would be unifying access to its accounts across the company's apps with some Australians already seeing the changes.

Here's a rundown of what's changed and how it affects you.

What's changing and why?

Meta is changing its current Accounts Centre with an updated system called Meta Account.

The idea of the new system is to bring account management for the company's various apps and devices under one system.

These include:

- Messenger

- Threads

- Meta AI

- AI glasses

- Meta Quest headsets

Meta says WhatsApp will not be added to a Meta Account by default. It will only be in your Meta Account if you choose to add it or you've previously added it to your Accounts Centre.

The switch should not change your profiles or how you use these apps.

Meta says it's designed to make "signing in and managing your settings easier".

Here are a few updates you can expect, according to Meta:

- One password

- Easy set up for new apps and devices

- Boosted security with passkeys

- 24/7 protection

- Personalised security recommendations

Can you opt out?

No.

The change is automatic and being rolled out gradually.

You should receive a notification on your social media platform and email when your account is updated.

But Meta says you can still control and choose which profiles are in your Meta Account at any time.

For example, you can have a Meta Account for your Facebook and another Meta Account for your Instagram profile.

Settings that are specific to each app will also remain independent.

"For example, who can see your Facebook posts is a Facebook setting," Meta's website says.

"Similarly, whether someone can tag you in a photo on Instagram is an Instagram setting."

So how can I keep my apps separate?

Here's a step-by-step guide to create separate Meta Accounts for each of your apps:

- Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook

- Select Settings & privacy, then click Settings

- Click Meta Account, then click Manage account

- Click Manage on your app of choice

- Click Move out of this Meta Account

When it comes to your passwords, Meta should use the same login info you use currently. It's up to you if you want to create a single password or passkey to use across all apps and devices.

Is it safe to put all your apps under the same Meta Account?

Macquarie University cyber security lecturer Jennifer Williams says while the new account system is likely no more or less secure than the old one, a breach of the new system would have a greater impact.

"An attacker would be able to gain access to all of your private messages on Instagram, Facebook, and, for those who have connected it to their Meta account, WhatsApp," Dr Williams says.

"They could use information from those messages to blackmail the user, impersonate them and send messages to their friends and family, or make posts on their behalf."

But Dr Williams says in the end, security comes down to the user's practices.

"If they do not use strong, unique passwords or two-factor authentication, then there is a greater risk of a breach of their account."

Ryan Ko, director of the Cyber Research Centre at the University of Queensland, says the more significant question is privacy.

"A unified identity makes it easier for Meta to track and profile its users, which then enables them to sell on to their clients," Professor Ko says.

"When Meta Account users' profiles connect activity across services, it creates a richer and more comprehensive profile of the user.

"The security risk is concentrated access; the privacy risk is concentrated knowledge of the user."