Internet privacy venn diagram
Facebook just changed its privacy controls, making it impossible to hide from Facebook Search.

Unfortunately, the bulk of users that are even aware of these changes will probably spend more time complaining about it instead of either learning about the changes or doing something about it.

Learn
According to Mashable,

“The new privacy tools will make it easier for you to pick which of your friends or subscribers can view your personal info, status updates and photos, according to Reuters. It also makes it simpler for you to request that a photograph of yourself be taken down by the uploader.” 

There’s good news and bad news here. The bad news is that these changes are driven by Facebook’s desire to offer better advertising options to brands. Like it or not, brands have always come before users on Facebook. And it’s because brands pay for Facebook. But the good news is, while you can’t hide from search, you CAN control who sees what content. Facebook is putting the onus of individual user privacy into the hands of the individual – albeit at a granular and incomplete level.

CNET reminds us that I may be a bit Pollyanna in my outlook.

“Facebook has mostly just fostered apathy in the vast majority of its subscribers — and confusion among those who are paying attention to what Facebook is doing with their activity and the resulting data.” 

Facebook is horrible at communicating privacy changes. The apathy and confusion mentioned above plays to Facebook’s advantage. And they are user issues of Facebook’s own design. I’ve always learned about changes from users — never Facebook itself.

Do
Had I written this earlier in the week, I’d have suggested voting via Facebook’s community voting process. But there was not enough voter turnout — the option has been eliminated. Users can still do something about it though. They can either get Medieval on their privacy settings or they can leave Facebook.

I know about 1 billion reasons why most users are more likely to complain than to leave Facebook.

Bottom Line?
No matter how self-entitled the user base may become, Facebook is a free site. We play by their rules. And whether it’s Facebook or any other corner of the internet, it’s up to individual users to manage their privacy. Facebook makes this clear time and time again. Whenever I get online privacy questions, it’s usually from someone that wants to create a private/stealth spot on Facebook. And whenever this happens, I point to my favorite venn diagram (above).

If you don’t want someone to see it? Don’t put it online.

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