| Facebook: What Privacy? By: Katie Guthrie Last December, to accompany a privacy settings update, the following statement greeted Facebook users when they logged onto their accounts: “We want to earn your trust by being transparent about how Facebook works.” But how trans- parent is this new policy? How private is it really? And what can you do to protect yourself and your information? The recent update forced every user to take a look at their privacy settings. Facebook led its members through a series of prompts to update the setting for items such as wall posts and uploaded photos. This update appeared more simple and straightforward than the previous one. But that’s because Facebook reduced the number of settings you actually can control. Instead of streamlining the process, they had simply made more of your information, such as your name, public to everyone. After the update, when users went to change their settings, Facebook “recommended” one for them: “Everyone.” This removal of user control has caught the attention of everyone from users and bloggers to the American Civil Liberties Union. But others don't seem to be fazed. Kara Thornton, a college student, said, “I love it. I can look at almost anyone’s profile since no one pays attention to it.” Facebook also eliminated users’ ability to control the information shared through Facebook sponsored quizzes and applications. The ACLU has protested that applications have far too much access to users’ personal data, including users who didn’t use any such applications. Previously, the social networking site offered users the ability to prevent their information from being shared with apps by selecting an option that said: “Do not share any information about me through the Facebook API.” Now this option is gone, so all apps can obtain all of your “publicly available information (PAI)" whenever a Facebook friend of yours adds another app. Facebook finally took notice of this and introduced settings that give users slightly more power over the information gathered by applications like quizzes. This recent change allows users to control information access on an per-application or per-item – such as posts and photos – basis. But this doesn’t shock everyone. Facebook “is in the business of selling advertising,” said Peter Schilling, director of information technology at Amherst College. “It is my choice what I do and do not put up there. But what goes up, the comments I post, all belongs to Facebook or, at least, it reserves the right to do what it wants with them.” It seems that many accept that whatever they put online becomes public, and some even relish it. But if you want to know how much information these applications really know about you the ACLU of Northern California has created a “Facebook Privacy Quiz” that shows you exactly how much almost anyone can know about you. It might make you think twice before finding out what Disney Princess you really are. |
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