Under the new changes, there will be a privacy icon on Facebook's blue toolbar that takes users to the site's most used privacy tweaks ("Who can see my stuff?" "Who can contact me?" "How do I stop someone from bothering me?").

Help Center content for privacy will also be simplified, with tools that are currently divided between the site's Privacy and Security sections pulled together in one place.

"Obviously, security and privacy are deeply tied together," Lessin said. "We knew that they were related, and we wanted to call that out."

Expanded Activity Log

The Activity Log, rolled out last year, lets users manage the information that appears on their Timeline. The updated version includes new navigation tools and will let users more easily see photos, status updates or other posts that may have been removed from Timeline but still appear elsewhere on Facebook.

It includes simplified tools to let users "view as" other people (a feature that already exists) to see whether they've hidden or displayed posts the way they wanted. Want to keep some Facebook activity hidden from your grandmother or your boss? This tool is for you.

Lessin said new messages will begin appearing on users' pages, explaining the changes as well as more clearly outlining how existing privacy tools work.

He said Facebook will also be killing a little-used "Who can look up my Timeline by name?" tool, saying new features will make doing so easier.