Facebook privacy- what's really going on

Facebook, Zuckerberg and all the privacy concerns...

It seems like every other day or week there are new privacy changes on Facebook and if you're not watching the news, online or just plain a social media 'geek' you can not possibly keep up with all of them.  What do you think of all the changes?  Does Facebook have "your back" - do they care? Do you care?  Is your profile on complete privacy lockdown?

Mark Zuckerberg is supposed to be rolling out more changes in the following weeks to make it more user friendly, just yesterday he announced a handful of changes.  Did you know your information could have been shared if your friends had opted into certain applications even if you had opted out?  Pretty bad huh?  No wonder the media has had Facebook under such scrutiny and people have been threatening to leave the number one site on the web.  There are an estimated 400,000 people on Facebook- that's unbelievable.

Below are some of the changes that will be rolled out:

-Basic privacy settings will be condensed to one page, reformatted to a chart so its easily seen who as access to waht

-Once a user chooser sets a particular type of content - photos for example- friends only- this will be set going forward for any future policy changes

-Any sort of 'opt-outs' for "instant personalizations" and other applications that access a profile will be made easier

-Users can opt out of sharing info with Facebook platform and 3rd party applications, even if what is collected is something you have set that 'everyone' can access (say on your status update or your photos).  An application must ask permission to assess any info a user has set to private settings.

Some have said this still isn't enough for privacy issues, but its a start.

What should YOU, the Facebook user, do to ensure you are protected?

1- Review your settings.  Go to the Privacy Settings tab (under 'Account), go through each one of the options and decide what level of privacy works for you.

2- Don't post things you wouldn't want your mom, grandma or your boss to read.  This is the internet and glitches do happen.  Think before you post, including pictures.  In February and May, Facebook experienced glitches where private messages were sent to other users in one instance and in another private chats were sent to other users.  

3- Look at the status update setting- you might want to consider only allowing your statuses to be viewed by your friends (and in some instances friends of friends).  

4- Look at your picture security setting- do you really want strangers to see your pictures? Your children?  Pictures are private, make sure they're kept that way.  Be careful of your friend's 'tagging' you in photos.  If you don't appreciate the picture, untag yourself or ask the friend to remove the picture.

Just remember, your life may be an open book to some of your friends and relatives, do you really want it an open book for the entire web?  Facebook is an amazing site.. a great reconnection resource, a way to stay connected to those you might not have otherwise ever "spoken" to again.   There have been amazing stories come from Facebook, from rekindled love to friendships.  Just be aware of what you share.

                        

Linda

Linda Graves Arnold, ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO
Coldwell Banker Gundaker
"Bringing Families Home"

phone:  314-422-2762
email: Linda@lindaandjim.com
website:  www.lindaandjim.com

                                                                                           

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