Facebook has rolled out its promised changes to beef up privacy controls, allowing users to decide exactly who sees status updates, pictures and other content.

Facebook's 350 million users are now being prompted to update their privacy settings based on the new system of controls.

Users can choose to make their information accessible to anyone on the internet, only friends, friends of friends, or only specific people.

Users can also choose to send content to all their friends with the exception of just one person or of a few people — a boss or an ex-boyfriend, perhaps.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg signalled the changes were coming last week, saying many users asked for the enhanced privacy controls.

The changes also follow updates to Facebook's privacy policy posted in late October, which were in part based on recommendations filed by Canada's privacy commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart.

In those changes, Facebook elaborated on the differences between deactivating and deleting an account, and what happens to an account after a user has died — issues that were raised by Stoddart.

Stoddart said she was satisfied Facebook was "on the right path to addressing the privacy gaps on its site" based on its commitments to address her complaints.