Facebook Has Less Privacy . . . Again

Facebook announced this week that it would make your profile photo, cover photo and other hidden information now public.

Unfortunately, this also means that there's little a user can do to limit what Facebook shares with third party app developers in one fell swoop, CNET reported. Instead, users will have to change audience settings per-post, not allow friends to enable apps using your information and opt out of Facebook Platform. It's a lot, but it's an option offered to Press:Here  by Facebook spokeswoman Victoria Cassady.

Essentially, your Facebook photos and other information are important so you can "connect with friends and family," according to Facebook's Help Center. The idea is a little odd because most friends and family have already found you without all that information open to any stranger with a search engine.

The lessening of privacy controls hasn't gone unnoticed. In 2009, the Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission about Facebook's privacy changes, including that opting out of personal information for third-party developers seems to no longer exist. From the complaint:

Facebook's revised privacy policy mandates the sharing of large amounts of personal information, whether or not users want to share that information.

There are ways to stop your information from heading to third parties, and one of the main ways is by deleting and not using Facebook apps. Of course, one sure way to make sure Facebook isn't dispersing your information is by deleting one's Facebook account.

 
Contact Us