Today Facebook decided to simplify their privacy controls after several weeks of push back from users, they have decided to modify their privacy controls. Some of the new controls include:
• Restricting personal information so it can only be visible by friends, friends of friends, or everyone on the internet
• Changing its directory structure so only minimal information comes out when someone searches for other people
• Easier controls to turn on/off Facebook’s controversial ‘instant personalization’ feature
According to Facebook they implemented their original privacy controls in order to enhance the user's experience and provide them with the most accurate advertising possible. However, there is a fine line between a personalized experience and privacy. Was Facebook truly acting in their user's best interest or were they just making it easier for their competitors to mine their data? Many companies have started to turn to Facebook in order to see what precedence they set; because as the article states, "Facebook is a very large canary in the coal mine.”
I do not think Facebook acted in bad faith when they enabled their original privacy policies. They are trying to reshape the way social media conducts itself and what/how we deal with 'personal' information. There is nothing inherently 'dangerous' about someone joining a social networking site, because the user controls how much information they are willing to share with the rest of the world. If you do not want everyone to know that you are married with three kids and their names are John, Tom, and Sam; then don't publish this information. Also make sure that you advise your friends that would do not want any personal information about you to be shared online. Furthermore, if you do not like Facebook's privacy policy then leave Facebook and go to MySpace, LinkedIn, or another social site that suits your needs.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/technology/27facebook.html?ref=business
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I fully agree with you! It is up to the users of these social sites to protect their own privacy needs. Whatever you put up is whatever people know about you. For instance, some people put up on Facebook exactly where they live, their ages and everything, or update their statuses on Twitter stating where they are or what they are doing, and all the possible information about themselves.
ReplyDeleteEven though I use Facebook, I use it with lots of discretion. There was recently an incident in my home country, Trinidad and Tobago, where a young lady met a man through facebook and he started stalking her because he know all her information: where she lived, where she worked and everything. When she told him she did not want to talk to him anymore, he easily follwed her after she left work one day and he killed her. Things like this happen when people expose too much of their lives on these social sites. They do not see the importance of privacy and the famous Internet.