July 6th, 2009
The social networking site Facebook has announced plans to better present and explain the privacy options available to users.
PCWorld reports on Facebook’s changes, which were deemed necessary as the current privacy settings are “too complicated,” according to Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer. The existing privacy options are arranged over multiple pages, leaving many users unsure where to find the privacy options they need, or even unaware of the options available.
The new privacy option renovations will place all personal controls on one page, and distill privacy levels into 5 main categories: Everyone, Friends and Networks, Friends of Friends, Only Friends, and Custom. In this way, users can restrict who can see their updates, who can view their profiles, photos, and so on.
Facebook has become bigger than ever, with 76% of Canadian teens aged 12-17 having a social network presence. With such overwhelming popularity among youth, it is important to present privacy options as clearly and straightforward as possible to prevent alienation and confusion. These changes are definitely an improvement, and they are being rightly lauded by privacy experts.
Even with these cleaned-up privacy options, youth still require education, paired with reliable Parental Controls software.
ParetoLogic offers PGsurfer completely free, an excellent companion to education and careful use of Facebook’s privacy measures.