Facebook Privacy Affects All

We've all heard stories about images from the past coming back to haunt someone.  On Facebook, this can happen quite literally, even resulting in jail time.  Yet some people seem to have trouble - or just don't learn about - updating Facebook's privacy settings to eliminate some of the risk of unwanted viewership.

Not that the mega social network makes it easy.  There are many menus to choose from (the screen shot at the right depicts what you see when you visit the link in the first paragraph) and each menu has many options.  Photo albums and videos can have individual levels of privacy.  So can the various applications and games, which have an entirely different privacy interface.

Facebook Changes Privacy Policy... Again

In operation for less than a decade; Facebook has changed its privacy policy and options several times.  (It's changed its layout, too, and there are many user groups discussing that if you're interested.)  According to a SciTechBlog entry, Facebook cites an understanding of users' confusion with the options above, and says it will release a simpler version of privacy settings. 

Facebook undoubtedly would like to spend its developer resources on new and improved features, expansions, partnerships, and yes, even more data mining opportunities.  But the privacy issue has been one that has plagued it for awhile.  By stepping back to that core value of its users, Facebook is showing that it listens and is attempting to resolve an ongoing issue.

Despite Facebook saying it will "do better", according to a Telegraph.co.uk article, some doubt still lingers.  According to the article although users can make most information private, fields including name, gender, and connections are public.

A simpler and less wordy privacy policy is a good step in the right direction.  (According to The New York Times, Facebook's privacy policy contains more words than the United States Constitution.  You can see a graphic here.)

What Does Privacy Mean for Corporations?

It's no secret that the owners of the advertisements and applications on Facebook use the site for data mining (collecting information about users).  If the above-mentioned improvements do make it easier for users to lock down their profiles and information, will corporations continue to use Facebook at all?

It will be interesting to watch and see if a drastic change in privacy setting options has any impact on how the rest of Facebook operates - both from the user side and the corporate side.  Only time will tell, but just as with the rest of social media and emerging technologies, everyone will have to roll with the punches or be left in the dust.



Resources:

Barnett, Emma. "Facebook executive responds to users’ privacy concerns." Telegraph.co.uk. N.p., 12 May 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7714942/Facebook-executive-responds-to-users-privacy-concerns.html

"Facebook Privacy Settings." Facebook. N.p., 2010. Web. 19 May 2010. http://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy (image)

Gates, Guilbert. Facebook Privacy: A Bewildering Tangle of Options. 2010. The New York Times. Web. 19 May 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/12/business/facebook-privacy.html

McCullagh, Declan. "Police Blotter: Facebook photo convicts school aide of drinking charge." CNET News. N.p., 17 Mar. 2009. Web. 19 May 2010. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10197908-38.html

Sutter, John D. "Facebook says it will make privacy changes." SciTechBlog. CNN, 19 May 2010. Web. 19 May 2010. http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/19/facebook-says-it-will-make-privacy-changes/