Facebook Rolls Out New “Privacy” Settings, Encourages Users to Abandon “Privacy”
Facebook is rolling out new privacy settings that it first began talking about in July. The company is holding a press conference this morning to walk us media types through the change, but here’s the main thing every Facebook user ought to know: Facebook wants users to share as much about themselves–with everyone on the Internet–as they can.
Here’s a screenshot of the new privacy settings menu Facebook presented to me today. Note that the default settings for most of my data are set to “Everyone” (click image to enlarge):
But what does “Everyone” actually mean? It means anyone with access to the Web. But you’ll need to read the fine print below the settings to figure that one out:
Important note: Facebook says these settings won’t be the default for anyone under age 18, and that kids will be prevented from sharing much of their information outside of Facebook. The company also says that users who have tweaked their privacy settings in the past will find those settings as the default when they first visit their privacy page. The majority of users, though, will end up with the “Everyone” default.
That said, the “share everything with everyone” strategy is a crucial part of Facebook’s effort to supplant Google (GOOG) as the Web’s key data repository. And I don’t have a problem with it, in theory: Like Eric Schmidt (and Scott McNealy before him), I don’t think there’s much privacy on the Web to begin with. Still, even though people don’t tend to behave as if privacy is important to them on the Web, they certainly like to complain about it.
And for what it’s worth, I have gone ahead and deselected the “Everyone” option for my stuff. If you want to see video of my toddler toddling, you’re going to have to be one of my 466 “friends.”
My bet: Facebook is going to end up hearing from all sorts of folks who didn’t realize they’re sharing everything with “everyone” and are now upset about it. And I think Facebook will end up by changing its default settings sooner than later.
Comments
We're also concerned that the transition tool and other changes actually discourage or eliminate some privacy protections that Facebook users currently employ.
We will be creating and updating a Facebook transition resource page to help users understand what has changed – for better and for worse which we will link to from here: http://tr.im/H7v2
- ACLU of Northern California
Posted by ACLU_NorCal at December 9th, 2009 at 4:31 pm@Peter,
Posted by davebarnes at December 9th, 2009 at 4:56 pmI went in the opposite direction and set everything to everyone.
,dave
Nothing wrong with that. It's just that Facebook would engender a lot more goodwill if they made the “everyone” option an opt-in. Of course, that would result in a much smaller number of sharers. Still, I thought FB already went through this exercise – and learned their lesson — with Beacon. Very odd.
Posted by PKafka at December 9th, 2009 at 5:03 pmMy options menu had the settings defaulted to what they have been all along, not Everyone.
Posted by flex2 at December 9th, 2009 at 5:06 pmHad you previously altered your privacy settings? FB says that in that case, they'll remain the same. Anyone who hasn't changed their settings in the past, though – like me – will see “everyone” as default. I'll note in story.
Posted by PKafka at December 9th, 2009 at 5:19 pmBeacon 2.0
Posted by JohnPaczkowski at December 9th, 2009 at 5:24 pmPeter,
Is this a topic of concern among those in the know:
The pop up box asking you to use the new privacy settings says that some things “like your name and profile picture” will be accessible to anyone (unless you hide yourself from searches).
But once you begin, it is announced to you that, unless you hide yourself from searches, “Public available information includes your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, Friend List, and pages.” It also appears that some of one's recent activity is displayed to all (again, unless one hides oneself from searches).
Although facebook says they are giving one MORE control over privacy, the new privacy framework for me has done the opposite, since I used to be able to hide my friends list, pages, etc.
Is there any talk of this, or hope that it could be changed??
Posted by anonymous469 at December 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pmPeter,
Is this a topic of concern among those in the know:
The pop up box asking you to use the new privacy settings says that some things “like your name and profile picture” will be accessible to anyone (unless you hide yourself from searches).
But once you begin, it is announced to you that, unless you hide yourself from searches, “Public available information includes your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, Friend List, and pages.” It also appears that some of one's recent activity is displayed to all (again, unless one hides oneself from searches).
Although facebook says they are giving one MORE control over privacy, the new privacy framework for me has done the opposite, since I used to be able to hide my friends list, pages, etc.
Is there any talk of this, or hope that it could be changed??
Posted by anonymous469 at December 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pmPeter,
Is this a topic of concern among those in the know:
The pop up box asking you to use the new privacy settings says that some things “like your name and profile picture” will be accessible to anyone (unless you hide yourself from searches).
But once you begin, it is announced to you that, unless you hide yourself from searches, “Public available information includes your name, profile picture, gender, current city, networks, Friend List, and pages.” It also appears that some of one's recent activity is displayed to all (again, unless one hides oneself from searches).
Although facebook says they are giving one MORE control over privacy, the new privacy framework for me has done the opposite, since I used to be able to hide my friends list, pages, etc.
Is there any talk of this, or hope that it could be changed??
Posted by anonymous469 at December 9th, 2009 at 6:46 pmso sorry for the duplicate posts!
Posted by anonymous469 at December 9th, 2009 at 7:08 pmI agree! After I changed the settings today, I realised that everyone can see my Wall….which is ridiculous…..So i have deactivated my account..I hope they fix it soon..
Posted by frustratedfbuser at December 9th, 2009 at 8:59 pmFYI: I've been fairly vigilant about my privacy settings on Facebook. I check and change them often.When I used the tool, it had all the settings defaulted to “Everyone.”
Posted by rickydomingo at December 10th, 2009 at 7:21 amI agree with your net/net analysis that the more sharing Facebook promotes the more network effects lock them in as THE social platform that brokers identity across the web.
Posted by joshuamross at December 11th, 2009 at 2:33 amOne clarification though. Most of your data settings are set to “everyone” because that is a mirror of your old settings. I had long ago set mine to optimize for a more “closed” network so my view of this window was a near mirror-opposite of yours.
I actually changed my privacy settings before to “hide everything” and still got the “share everything with the world” default…. very bad,
Posted by moburkhardt at December 11th, 2009 at 8:27 amThat's only part of the problem.
With the old privacy settings I had a well-secured account:
- no profile pic to the public
- it didn't appear on friend lists (unless you were a friend)
- nobody could see my friend list.
I have continuously been victim of cyberbullying and these settings were very good for my needs: I could keep in touch with my friends using Facebook, but ONLY with my friends and people I chose.
On the same day FB changed privacy settings my “cyber-stalker” identified me and my friends. Maybe I should have deactivated the account immediately, but all of this trouble was NOT evident.
Posted by il_ratto at December 12th, 2009 at 12:09 pmThe lawsuits they'll have to field when people are stalked and killed because of the new lack-of-privacy policy will likely make them change back. Too bad we'll have to wait until then.
Posted by IKnowItAllBitches at December 15th, 2009 at 2:54 amIt's no longer our profile on Facebook; it's Facebook's profile on us.
I'll be deactivating mine.