While millions of users across the world use social networking websites to share personal information and connect and communicate with other users, repeated criticism over Facebook’s lack of security and privacy policies have prompted the social networking giant to make some long overdue changes.
Launched in 2004, Facebook has over 400 million active users. Besides the recent launching of its new login security features, Facebook recently announced the website is rolling out several new features over the next few weeks that will address security and privacy concerns. For over a year, Facebook has been working on revamping and revising its privacy model. The overhaul is now complete.
New Facebook Privacy Features
According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, users have made it clear they want a simple way to control their information. The site is implementing several new features – a new control for content, more powerful controls for basic information and a simple control to turn off applications.
- One simple control allows users to decide who they want to share their information with, with a few simple clicks. The individual user will be able to share information with friends, friends of friends or everybody. Once implemented, the settings will apply retroactively to existing content.
- A new, simple-to-use control allows users to turn off Instant Personalization and hide basic information from partner websites. Third-party applications will have to ask permission to access personal information not visible to all.
- The connections' privacy model will be removed. Users will be able to control who can and cannot see the users’ friends and favorite pages. The controls are located at the top of the privacy page in the Basic Directory Information.
A notice informing users of the changes will be posted on the top of the homepage.
Some critics have complained previous Facebook security and privacy features were either difficult to locate or were not automatically set to “default.” While these new features are touted as being simple to use, it is still unknown whether or not the features will be automatically set to the default setting. For more information, please visit the website’s Privacy Guide.
Quit Facebook Day
Due to widespread criticism, the new features may just be too little, too late for some people. In fact, frustrated and angry users and groups are planning to participate in the Quit Facebook Day, slated for May 31, 2010. To date, over 29,000 users have committed to quit the site.
Since its launch six years ago, Facebook has come a long way. Despite the recent backlash over its lack of privacy and security settings, Facebook is listening. Once implemented, the site’s new privacy controls will give users the ability to control what information to share with others, making the free social networking site a more user-friendly and secure environment.
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway - +JaceShoemaker-Galloway is more than passionate about online safety awareness. She has devoted and dedicated over five years to Internet ...
Join the Conversation