Facebook Under Fire from Privacy Advocates
I read this and had to chuckle. Isn’t “internet privacy” an oxymoron?
p.s. You really want to keep your kid safe on social networks? Monitor them! (see: PC Pandora)
Privacy advocates take Facebook gripe to FTC
By Glenn Chapman (AFP) – 21 hours agoSAN FRANCISCO — Privacy advocates are calling on the US Federal Trade Commission to make Facebook undo recent changes made to privacy controls at the world’s leading online social network.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) joined with the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) and several other organizations in a complaint accusing Facebook of violating US consumer protection law.
“More than 100 million people in the United States subscribe to the Facebook service,” said EPIC director Marc Rotenberg. “The company should not be allowed to turn down the privacy dial on so many American consumers.”
Facebook last week began calling on users to get a better grip on their online privacy by dictating who sees what in online profiles.
All of Facebook’s more than 350 million members are required to refine settings with a new software tool that lets them specify who gets to be privy to each photo, video, update or other piece of content uploaded to the website.
Facebook public policy communications manager Andrew Noyes expressed disappointment with the decision to file a complaint with the FTC.
“We’ve had productive discussions with dozens of organizations around the world about the recent changes and we’re disappointed that EPIC has chosen to share their concerns with the FTC while refusing to talk to us about them,” he said in a statement.
“We discussed the privacy program with many regulators, including the FTC, prior to launch and expect to continue to work with them in the future,” Noyes said.
He added that the privacy controls provided to Facebook users are “unprecedented in the Internet age.”
“The new tools offer users the opportunity to decide on privacy with every photo, link or status update they wish to post, so the process of personalizing privacy on Facebook will continue,” Noyes said.
The tools let Facebook members pre-determine accessibility to profile content in categories designated “Friends,” “Friends of Friends,” “Everyone” and “Customized.”
Facebook members can select a privacy setting for each post by using lock icons next to “share” buttons on profile pages.
“You may not want to share pictures of a drinking binge with certain friends while other friends might get a kick out of it,” said Larry Magid, co-director of ConnectSafely.org which promotes Internet privacy and security.
“There are some things Facebook could have done better but in general they did a pretty good job. Most people are going to be pretty happy with the default settings,” Magid said.
Facebook privacy default settings make some basic information such as gender and profile pictures public so friends can better find each other and connect in the online community.
“They want people to be findable,” Magid said. “It works best for them and it probably works best for many users but not all users.”
Some privacy advocates said changes actually mask a move to get members to expose more information online.
“Facebook’s new policy has seriously eroded the privacy rights of its members,” CDD executive director Jeff Chester said Thursday.
“The leading social network has not acted responsibly. It cannot be permitted to deliberately weaken the control its users have over their information just because it may boost its bottom line.”
The complaint cites the creation of dissident Facebook user groups such as “Facebook! Fix the Privacy Settings.”
The bottom line is that Facebook users along with everyone else on the Internet should be thinking about online safety and privacy, according to Magid.
“Nobody is requiring you to be on Facebook,” Magid said. “They have a right to do what they want. I’m not convinced government should do anything about it.”
