I stumbled across this interesting site that scans your Facebook for privacy holes. Check out http://www.reclaimprivacy.org/. When you hit the reclaimprivacy.org site, read the instructions carefully and run their tool against your Facebook privacy settings. The service will offer up recommendations to tighten up your Facebook security and fix them for you. Give it a try to see if you have any privacy holes that need filling. I was amazed at how "unprotected" my information was.
Here is my take on the privacy issues facing Facebook. I think that CEO Mark Zuckerberg's head became inflated after learning Facebook became the #1 social network site, surpassing MySpace and others that he really did not care about heeding any concerns of anyone that had been trying to warn him of the privacy issues. Now that Facebook has been in the media negatively he decides that it's time to wake up and realize the dream might be over if he fails to deal with the problems facing Facebook. For the changes that Facebook made as a result of the fierce criticism you can read Tom Spring's article "Facebook beefs up privacy with three big changes" in PC World. http://www.macworld.com/article/151570/2010/05/facebook.html#commentsjump
Facebook may have privacy issues, but people should not be so open about their personal lives on an internet site if there is something sensitive about whatever topic they write about. As soon as an idea, event, etc., is posted on the internet; it is not personal anymore. This information will belong to the internet for as long as the website lasts. It does not matter what privacy components the website has, if it is private information, do not post it on the net.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, some users upload pictures, personal data and even their phone numbers on their Facebook page and then ask why we do not have privacy. Social networking users should be smart and protect themselves of those people who use their information without asking. Many Facebook users say they use this website to stay in touch with their friends, but my question is why don’t they use email which is safer than Facebook. As a parent, I always tell my son don’t talk to strangers, but how many people talk to my kid or my kid talk to strangers on Facebook which I DO NOT KNOW THEM!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think Facebook and all social networking sites are beneficial for many reasons ... reconnecting with friends, job recruiting, etc. The downside is that you run the risk of potential privacy/security breaches and personal over-exposure. The recent Facebook situation is not uncommon in the digital age and should be of no surprise to anyone. We should all be extremely cautious about what we post on the Web, as the lifeline of that online information is LONG. Once the info is on the net, it is technically "out of our control". We are protected by the Web sites' privacy features, but we cannot protect ourselves from the sudden security glitches. It is a matter of TRUST. Unlike most, I do not have a Facebook account, since I consider myself a private person & I just do not have the "time" at this point in my life. The recent Facebook ordeal is exactly the type of situation I want to avoid. Violeta ... thanks for letting us know about the Facebook privacy scanning site. I will forward to all of my friends and fam.
ReplyDeleteI really do not understand all this fuss about the privacy on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteWhen you walk in the street you keep your face covered to avoind to be filmed by the hundreds of security camera that are looking at you? Or you refuse to use a debit card or a credit card or make a phone call with your mobile because they can track you in a less than the time you take to say your name?
I think you do not and so why bothering about privacy of facebook? No one pointed a gun to your temple and forced you to open a Facebook Account. Or you were completely unaware of the privacy related issues you could go through?
When you open Facebook, since I presume you are a rationale person, you balanced off the benefits and the drawbacks and decided that being in contact with all your friends around the world is more important than your privacy. Period.
Being connected to your friends might be the number 1 reason why people joined facebook in he first place. Yet, you are not counting that potential employers could access your information and see all of your pictures that you might not want your employers to see.Moreso, If your facebook isint private strangers of all kinds could access your information and track you down for a number of reasons. The risks of giving out so much information of yoourself is high.Nonetheless, individuals become emotionally attached to facebook and the risks become vague to us.
ReplyDeleteRecently,It has been rumerd that facebook is going to start charging for your profile existance on the site. I havent read this myself, but have heard it will cost about 15 US$ per month. Connecting the dots we will be paying someone else to manage all of our privacy, meaning individuals will be agreeing not only to expose their private (they even own our pictures once they are up on facebook) lives on facebook, they will be paying for that service.....
What a great recommendation! I didn't know that such a site existed. I've had many issues with privacy on facebook. With time, I've been changing the security settings a lot to prevent these kinds of problems. It is incredible to find about sites like this, now a days you can find sites for anything you want!! Hurray for the internet!!!
ReplyDeleteI just changed my settings on Facebook a few days ago, but will check to see the result.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it is our choice to have an account and we all agreed to the terms, even though never really read them. I am happy that all this buzz was created on the issue of privacy, since I am convinced that for some people it was an eye opening event.
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ReplyDeleteI still think they have a long way to go. I have been able to access any account from people that I don’t even know. I’ve tried to keep all my information out of there and I’ll probably even change or put a nickname.
ReplyDeleteOrkut, which is similar to facebook, is widely used in Brazil. It’s a much safer environment as one can’t see other individual’s profile unless this particular individual adds one as a friend. Pictures, comments, profile, and other stuff are off limits.
The security issues in Facebook are a topic that has been involving so many comments and opinions that Wikipedia has a page for it .
The NY Times has published an article “Facebook Glitch Brings New Privacy Worries” [1] that basically can be summarized as “Facebook has become more scary than fun.”
1 - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/technology/internet/06facebook.html