(Originally published May 30 2010) In December of 2009, the world’s largest social networking site drastically changed its stance on privacy. Facebook, once the most closed site on the web, has now come under attack for exposing its user’s personal information (name, location, relationship status, occupation, etc.)
Over the past month, the debate over user security and information has spiraled out of control. Most articles on the subject have attacked Facebook, and especially its founder Mark Zuckerberg personally, over the changes the site has made (and will continue to make). (To visualize the changes Facebook has made, please check out http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/)
Those opposed to the changes, which make a user’s personal information available to the public by default, claim that the user’s safety and security is at risk as well as their privacy invaded. Most of the controversy surrounds Facebook’s newly implemented “Instant Personalization” program. This program enables users to visit certain sites (such as Yelp!, docs.com and Pandora) and have their interests, such as favorite musicians and restaurants, automatically synced with these sites. “The partner can use your public Facebook information, which includes your name, profile picture, gender, and networks”
The uproar over this program concerns how users are automatically opted-in to it, without any notifications. Should users not want to participate in the program, they must search through Facebook’s FAQ’s to find this site and opt-out.
Zuckerberg believes that the web should become more open, not closed. Facebook is effectively an extension of the real world, which itself is becoming more transparent. By sharing your Facebook information with third-party partners, Zuckerberg claims that they will be able to suit your needs more precisely.
Image by jdlasica via Flickr
Most of this comes down to one simple question: if you are willing to post your name, birthday, gender, location, interests, photos, status updates etc. onto the Internet freely, can you really complain if that information is used by the company (yes, Facebook is a company) in whatever way they choose?
According to a recent study, 60% of Facebook users are considering leaving the social network. This number seems awfully high, however it raises an important issue. Those opposed to the changes say that they freely entered an agreement with Facebook to provide them with their information under the assumption that this information would be kept private.
On a personal note, I automatically assume that all information I provide to Facebook will be used in any way they may choose. I have no problem with that. If I truly wanted to protect myself, I would leave the site. The only way to protect myself and still utilize the site, I can only do one thing: be careful of what I put on the Internet. It’s as simple as that.
At the time of this writing, the “Instant Personalization” program still requires opting-out and Facebook has streamlined and simplified their privacy settings. Users are able to hide their interests and friends lists, and a lot of their information is still public by default.
The changes are being rolled out over the next few weeks; so if you have not quit Facebook already, check your privacy settings to satisfy your needs.
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