Hello Everyone,
I have just read an article this morning that Facebook are removing the privacy option, that once protected users from being searchable. Now all users are searchable for any other user. The old privacy setting was called “Who can look up your Timeline by name”, but Facebook claim that only a small number of users actually selected the option not to appear in Facebook search results. In addition, Facebook claim that this privacy option often caused confusion when users were searching for a friend, who they knew personally, yet their friend did not show up in their search results. Furthermore, users who clicked this option were still searchable via the News Feed and through Graph Search.
This new privacy change by Facebook has been met with some Negative reactions. As one critic wrote, Facebook has billions of users. Facebook said only a small percentage of their users had opted for the privacy setting anyway, however, this small percentage could in fact be millions of users. Facebook failed to disclose what percentage of users used this privacy option.
It would be interesting to know everyone’s thoughts on the privacy setting change. Do you think this will cause users to worry about their privacy more, and who can see what they post? Will this lead to users not wanting to share as much information about themselves as they did previously? Facebook’s business strategy is fuelled by people sharing their personal information, do you think changes such as these could in the long run, damage their business strategy?
However it is worth nothing, that Facebook are now going to notify users who are making a public post, that users who they do not know, might be able to see their activity. Could actions such as these counteract the above criticisms?
It is a disastrous that Facebook, would do this, but it was apparently coming sooner or later. Because we have to look at the politics that has already taken place in terms of cases on Facebook, the laws of freedom of speech is now being regulated. It is definitely not surprising, before we know it we walk into a room and the room will know who we are.
I think the main solution for most of us, is how do we want people to know about us? Did I put too much information about myself, that I don’t want the whole world to know, basically how we should also question ourselves on how much do we put about OURSELVES out there.
I believe, we cannot do much about it at the moment, but just maybe take the advantage of the time given to remove any embarrassing information. Change the way use Facebook, because at the end of the day we will be on it, and using it for various purposes.
This post only makes my argument about the downside of Google Glass stronger. Yesterday I saw an interesting documentary on Dutch television about the Tech human. It says Google Glass is only the tip of the iceberg. The documentary shows all sorts of other recording devices so we can record every second of our daily lives. Mine, but also yours ,even if you don’t want me to. Here’s where you can find the documentary (don’t worry, most of it is in English: http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/afleveringen/2013-2014/TechMens.html.
Due to this kind of policies that Facebook is proposing, I think the characteristic of Facebook is changing rapidly. Since Facebook has a lot of users, people won’t be able to leave the community. So the popularity of Facebook won’t decrease, however the posts on Facebook won’t be personal and intimate as it used to be. It would be more formal and personal thing won’t be posted. But still I think Facebook will continue to flourish because of the existing merits they have.
When it comes to the internet, privacy is gone. If you decide to use a social networking site, you have to expect some sort of lack of privacy and possible threat to your personal information. The question is, when this gets too much? There are some information that we do not mind being shared, but for the rest? I do believe that people´s privacy should be respected. If you value your “users” you should keep in mind that some of them don´t want to be searched for or appear in the lists. It feels like, recently, networking sites ignore the users´ rights to choose. By click “I agree to terms” we let them do whatever they want… I am wondering though, how far will Facebook go with this nonsense and until when people will be willing to put up with this.