How Facebook's New Privacy Changes Will Affect You
In a late night post on Facebook's company blog, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a round of upcoming changes that will affect all users of the social network. Specifically, the changes focus on new privacy controls for information sharing. For those who have been following Facebook closely, the announcement doesn't deliver any new information, it only confirms some previously discussed plans. However, for Facebook's user base, now 350 million strong, the updates represent a major overhaul as to how privacy is handled on the site.
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Change #1: No More Regional Networks
Over the years, Facebook has grown from a tightly closed social network designed for connecting college students to an entirely open network which anyone and everyone can join. At first, Facebook's privacy model revolved around "networks" - communities for your school, your region, or your company. "This worked well when Facebook was mostly used by students," Zuckerberg writes, "since it made sense that a student might want to share content with their fellow students." Over time, the company added more networks, including some for entire countries. But now, thanks to Facebook's ever-growing popularity, these "regional" networks have grown so large that some have millions of members.
The problem with networks of this size when it comes to privacy is that people who had opted in to sharing content with their network (via the setting share with my "networks and friends") were inadvertently be sharing personal updates with far more people than they intended to. To address this issue, Facebook demoted cities and regions from being considered networks although the information still exists in user profiles, listed under "Current City" and/or "Current Region."
This update isn't exactly news - the company revealed their plans to remove regional networks back in July of this year. Zuckerberg's mentioning of this update seems to be more of a confirmation that indeed, this process is underway, than any sort of major announcement about a new direction for Facebook.
Change #2: Control Who Sees Each Piece of Individual Content You Add or Upload
A second privacy update involves Facebook's plans to allow its users more control over individual pieces of content uploaded or added to the social network. This control will be implemented on a per-post basis through a mechanism dubbed the "Publisher Privacy Control." Simply put, this change adds a new feature to the publisher box on Facebook - aka the status update box. From here, Facebook users post their status, upload photos and videos, and share links. At the moment, when you click the "Share" button, who sees that content is governed by settings tucked away under a cavalcade of menus (Settings -> Privacy Settings -> Profile -> Status and Links.)
With the the upcoming Publisher Control functionality, already in beta testing, a new button featuring an image of lock will appear beneath the status update box. Click on this button and you'll be able to choose precisely who is allowed to see that update or other piece of content ("everyone," "friends," "friends of friends," etc.)
Change #3: A Simplified Privacy Page
Facebook's granular privacy controls have always been sort of a blessing and curse for the social network. Although savvy users could drill down into each individual setting and adjust it to their needs, the majority of the site's users don't even know where these settings are, much less how to change them or to what. The problem, as noted above, is that many of the privacy settings are buried in a series of complex menus. Even if you can find the Privacy Page, the drop-down boxes and their lists of choices stump average users who aren't sure what a setting like "my networks and friends" really means.
To make privacy simpler, Facebook's controls will be changed to permit sharing with three groups: "only friends," "friends of friends," or "everyone." In addition, the Privacy Page itself will be simplified to combine some settings which currently overlap. This, too, was announced in July.
Although neither post details specifically what settings will be combined, a quick glance at the Privacy Page allows for some speculation. Perhaps the "basic info" and "personal info" boxes will become one? There really isn't that much distinction between the two, despite what their names imply. For example, "basic" information includes what many consider "personal" information such as birthday, hometown, and religious views. Meanwhile, the so-called "personal" information setting controls more innocuous content like favorite books and movie. The "Photos Tagged of You" and the "Videos Tagged of You" settings also seem like worthy contenders for combination. It seems that you're either okay with people seeing content you've been tagged in by others or you're not. Whether that's a photo or video doesn't really matter to most. However, these are just guesses, mind you - until the update goes live, there's no way to tell what will and will not be changed.
How the Transition Will Occur
Although not mentioned by name in Zuckerberg's blog post, the July post mentioned a new "Transition Tool" that would be rolled out to users to aid them in configuring the new settings. This is likely what Zuckerberg was referring to when he noted that "we'll suggest settings for you..." With the Transition Tool, users are prompted to pick from different privacy level options like "open," "recommended," or "limited." According to the recent post, the recommended settings will be based on your current level of privacy but you'll be able to read through the other options to make changes if you so desire.
Beginning with a small group of users, Facebook has been testing six different versions of this tool to determine what works best. Based on feedback from the group, the testing tool will be refined to a final version before all the changes are made available to the entire network. However, since the recent post made no mention of a timeline for these changes, the implication is that these new updates are not going live just yet. Instead, the post was merely setting the stage for what's to come.
Why Facebook Cares About Privacy
It's good to see Facebook taking the issue of privacy seriously. Although it's easy to blame the user for over-sharing and then having to deal with harsh consequences like job loss or even, remarkably, the loss of health-care benefits by sharing some items too publicly, at the end of the day, affected users will not blame themselves, they will blame Facebook. And those reading these "social network horror stories" in the media could ultimately become too afraid to post to the site, leading to a less active user base, or worse - users deleting their accounts.
Privacy issues are bad news for Facebook, just as they were bad news for MySpace back when they were king. For years, there were so many news stories about sexual predators on MySpace that eventually the public perception of MySpace was that the network wasn't very safe. Instead of going that route and allowing the media stories about Facebook blunders to control the network's public image, these privacy changes are designed to preempt the missteps and mistakes the not-so-savvy user base may make by making Facebook privacy simpler and more refined while also more representative of the large network Facebook has become.
ReadWriteWeb's Best Of Lists for 2009:
- Top 10 Mobile Web Products of 2009
- Top 10 Consumer Web Apps of 2009
- Top 10 Semantic Web Products of 2009
- To be continued...
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It's good they care enough to request comments. It's bad if they take away the granularity of control (if they do...) of my privacy - for example, combining the settings of two items over which I currently have different levels of privacy defined.
I also have to wonder how much of this has to do with the privacy suit fB lost in Canada.
Either way, I read the fB blog post last night and I am not opposed to the direction they're going. Maybe by announcing it to users so obviously (there is a notification at the top of users' fB profiles linking to the full post) they'll stem some of the typical "we hate this change" ranting that occurs with every new version roll out.
FB changed my sons live, not mine.
What about "custom" settings for friends. There are some friends on FB that I just don't trust to see everything I do. These are usually ex or current coworkers and old high school people to which I'm not very close. I like having restricted lists of people that I can chose, hey, you're not going to see any more than the basics of my profile, and lists that are essentially the flood gates of complete access to everything I post because I 100% trust those people not to use that information as blackmail or for malicious intent.
I can't operate on three settings. What about us users that can navigate the settings pages, huh? Are we going to luck out because yet another service or product has to dumb itself down to the masses?
I'm wondering the same thing regarding the Custom settings. I've created Lists and use the Custom setting for my privacy settings. I need more than those three settings and I actually want the option of being able to select a List in the new individual content control. It looks like the latter may be supported, but in a klugy way, through the Custom option?
Did anybody read Zyngas Terms of Services?
It is really important that Facebook enhances the privacy but many people are playing strange games on Facebook. And Zyngas ToS are no really cool:
Part 5c from the zynga tos:
" c) You grant to zynga the unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual fully-paid and royalty-free right and license to host, use, copy, distribute, reproduce, disclose, sell, resell, sublicense, display, perform, transmit, publish, broadcast, modify, make derivative works from, retitle, reformat, translate, archive, store, cache or otherwise exploit in any manner whatsoever, all or any portion of your User Content to which you have contributed, for any purpose whatsoever, in any and all formats; on or through any and all media, software, formula or medium now known or hereafter known; and with any technology or devices now known or hereafter developed and to advertise, market and promote same."
Ok, Facebook saves my privacy now and all the apps sell my personal stuff :-)
This seemingly simple problem is actually really complex when you have to present users with an easy way to manage it all. This is probably why it took facebook so long to implement it. We faced a similar issue when dealing with privacy and visibility of posts and ended up with a solution similar to what facebook has though serving a slightly different audience.
There might be some backlash at first, but ultimately this was a necessary move by facebook (and others to follow).
Giving Facebook users more granular control over the information they share with their friends and networks would be a good step, but as you guys are noting, it doesn't address the privacy problems with third party applications. We wrote a facebook quiz to demonstrate the amount of information that gets shared with these third parties whenever you or one of your friends takes a quiz or uses an application.
To find out more, check out our new campaign on online privacy at http://www.dotrights.org.
Hi Sarah: great article and a very thorough explanation of the privacy issues all social networks inevitably face as they expand.
Given the fact that search engines appear headed towards indexing posts and Tweets, I'm wondering whether these new privacy controls will limit search engines from indexing updates where users have specifically indicated their content is for "friends only". Or will these new controls have no bearing whatsoever on this for FaceBook updates.
Love to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Best
Jim Gibson
It's a pity we still don't get the option to set who can see you in suggestions.
I really Really don't like to be suggested to other people.
"...users deleting their accounts."
Little do they know how hard that is. 'Deleting' an account compromises of logging out and freezing the account exactly where it is. Everyone can still view everything that was posted on or by it.
It took me 3 weeks to get rid of the account I used for a week. Through many emails to FB staff. And I'm still not completely convinced it's off their servers.
Hahaha....
I have my Google Wave account. Google's Wave simplified such PRIVACY MATTER by creating a USER-CONTROLLED "waves" wherein MEMBERS are accordingly put into a certain level of "disclosure" that the former (i.e. account owner) logically, or pragmatically figured out. Thus, COMPARTMENTALIZING every bit of zero's and one's in a more INTUITIVE and GRAPHICAL FASHION by merely drag and dropping the item inside a specific wave. No more cumbersome pull-down menus for every piece of digital info you have to post.
Essentially, with Google wave, it is like having a multiple social-network account in one single GUI... Plus a lot more...!
Darn! Dis is Disruptive Tech... heheheh
@Jim: I believe that posts set to "friends only" would NOT be indexed by search engines. If they were, that would be an incredible breach of trust.
I hope this means it will be easier to jigger who sees what on Facebook. At the moment, I think a lot of people experience diminishing returns because they don't want Cousin Larry or Mom to see photos of a blowout in Key West.
I had my 11 monkeys work on a model for this rate of diminishing return. The resulting, very scientific, bell curve is here - http://www.msmeme.com/blog/2009/12/can-i-unfriend-family-members-on-facebook.html
I'm also wondering if they will keep Custom settings. I generally have two tiers of privacy - those who can view my whole profile, and those who only get a bare bones view. I don't think Facebook will ditch these, but I'd really like to see how they'd be implemented.
too much pesonal info is being shared on web... need more custom settings so privacy can be blocked.
I am wondering whether these security setting are really needed. I do agree to some of the changes. Making the privacy settings simple really needed.
I liked the No.1 point that there will not be any regional Networks. A lot of the information is being theft by these regional networks. I hope if there will not be any Regional network, more the privacy will be.
I think Facebook should have more levels of privacy. I have 3 different lives that I don't want people to see all of them. I'm still waiting for the old facebook layout to come back!!
It took me 3 weeks to get rid of the account I used for a week. Through many emails to FB staff. And I'm still not completely convinced it's off their servers.
What's not mentioned in the article is that FB is now giving us LESS privacy. They broadcast our friends list to all now (and reduce our options for allowing friends, etc, to see or not to see), and unless you remove information, FB now defaults any information you have posted about your gender, where you live, your birthdate, etc. FB's new changes are a marketers dream I'm shocked, horrified, amazed, and disgusted; it's completely amazing that FB's spin on this is that they're doing it because they CARE for their users. The only purpose I can think of for FB's new requirement that we share MORE private information is for MARKETING.
FB profiles have never been private at all! You can easily access "private" photos of non-friend people using a brute force attack (privacystalker.blogspot.com) no matter your profile privacy settings, whether you have the old setup or the new one! FB should be as open as twitter!! after all your information is not longer private once you have uploaded it to the internet...
The new privacy settings suck! To me, this is because of one thing: unless I missed something, it is no longer possible to "completely hide" as a member. That is - no matter what you do - you will show up as a "suggestion" - complete with picture - to your friends' friends', and therefore, people you haven't talked to in ten years and you have no interest in keeping up with, will try to friend you! No longer does it seem possible to block EVERYONE from adding you as a friend, either. The privacy implications of this are huge! I think my account is up for deletion unless i find a way to manage this.
FB changed my sons live, not mine.
Facebook is getting bigger than Google? I started advertising on Facebook and really happy with it. Hope Google will go away. I am sick of their arrogance. Almost zero customer service, even if you are spending $10,000 for ads a month.
Facebook is a great company and they do offer h1 transfer for someone on h1b visa and need employer sponsorship.
I definatly agree. Facebook needs WAAY more privacy.I dont want everyone able to see what im doing, who im with and all of that..Facebook has become a stalkers wet dream!
Especially the images I post on Facebook bothers me. Never know who can access them and use them for dirty work
As a freelancer, I work with several social media api's and face book, is kinda strict on their rules.
Slightest detection of spam can result in you getting blocked.