Facebook Rolls Out New Privacy Tool

Facebook Rolls Out New Privacy Tool

AFP

By Glenn Chapman

December 9, 2009

Facebook on Wednesday began calling on users to get a better grip on their online privacy by dictating who sees what in profiles at the world’s leading social networking service.

All of Facebook’s more than 350 million members will be 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.

Jules Polonetsky quoted:

“It is going to be far more intuitive for users,” Future of Privacy Forum director Jules Polonetsky said of the Facebook privacy control change.

“When we post something is when we think of whom we want it to go to, and this is the first time we will be able to do that.”

Regional networks, geographical community groupings that Facebook recently eliminated, led members to unwittingly share profile content with as many as millions of users, according to Polonetsky.

“Facebook has balanced more sharing with less of a chance people won’t realize who they are sharing with,” Polonetsky said.

This is the first time Facebook users will be able to make “discreet decisions on the fly” about individual posts and updates, he added.”

To view the full article please click here.