Yesterday we wrote about the huge Facebook Places backlash that’s spreading on Facebook through false status updates. However the information doesn’t appear to be slowing down. In fact, it appears to be spreading at an even greater pace as friends warn each other falsely that “ANYONE can find out WHERE you are when you are logged in”. Simply put, Facebook Places does not function like this.
While Facebook Places is a product that enables you to share your location with your friends, it’s only if you choose to do so. While in theory it may be interesting to watch where your friends are in real-time on a map, it would also be pretty creepy. That’s exactly why the false information spreading through Facebook status updates is so popular. If you want to do your friends a favor, share this article with them and also share with them this post which includes a video of how Facebook Places actually works.
Again, Facebook Places Does Not Automatically Track You!
Posted by Nick O'Neill on September 1st, 2010 11:01 AM
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The hell it don't! I followed one of my friends a few evening ago by the info places gave from her post. I followed street by street directions right up to her dads house. Even give me the city, state and house address. Can bet I'll never use places, I'll leave facebook before I will.
Why has AFB turned to spamming??? Go back to posting some good and needed info. Very close to clicking the unlike button on AFB!
Comment by chilly — September 1, 2010 @ 7:13 am
The point of this article is off the mark to what people are really upset about. It's the fact that Facebook introduces Facebook Places and automatically has our default settings to be tagged. We have to hear about it through a status message and go change our privacy settings. Why should we have to do that??? The default should air on the side of privacy and not be enabled and then if we CHOOSE to enable it we can go to the settings and change it. Every time we turn around Facebook is adding something to reveal a little more of our privacy and we have to go disable it! That is what people are really upset about and why they take such drastic steps to say Facebook is tracking you. Our privacy should be protected first and let us make the decision if we want to be tagged in a place. When is Facebook going to start respecting our privacy and let each of us decide what we want to enable not have to go behind Facebook and disable things to protect ourselves??
Comment by Denise — September 1, 2010 @ 7:33 am
Chilly, exactly, your friend CHOSE to post her location. What the false status updates are saying is that FB Places will automatically (against your will) report your location. It's scaring people by saying that FB is Big Brother, reporting where you based upon where you log in to FB… This article is just trying to set the record straight on that bit of misinformation.
Comment by Kristin Bishop — September 1, 2010 @ 7:36 am
Write a post about ignorant and alarmist behavior, and invite ignorant and alarmist people to comment.
Chilly – please do everyone a favor and learn how to read posts properly before commenting. If your friend chooses to share her location, then of course you will be able to use a mapping service to find out where she is.
That's the point of Places – your friends *choose* to share their location so people can find them. This isn't that fucking hard to understand.
Also, if you're really going to stop using Facebook, fucking do it! Whining and threatening to do so is some of the most ridiculous and pointless behavior on the web, and most people never actually go through with it.
Comment by riomx — September 1, 2010 @ 7:41 am
I deleted my FB account awhile ago but still enjoy following the story of its rise and fall. From what I've read about it, the issue as always with FB is that you have to go along behind FB, like the janitor, closing down all the holes in you rprivacy that FB introduces. If they would introduce something like Places and have it disabled by default, people wouldn't complain so much. No, instead they ENABLE new features by default, requiring people to go through convoluted steps to opt out. I know, Google tends to do this too. It doesn't make it right. And simply saying "Don't use it then" misses the point that a company that claims to serve your interests, actually serves only its own financial interests.
Comment by idfriendly — September 1, 2010 @ 9:54 am
I can't even really get up in arms about Facebook's opt-out privacy angle on their 'tag other folks on Places' feature, since it's basically just a shortcut to saying, "I'm at Cafe du Whoosit; Bob's here, too!"
Comment by William Young — September 1, 2010 @ 11:25 am
The idea of releasing new features that are turned off by default is stupid, plain and simple. Sorry, the internet just doesn't work this way. The average person is far too unmotivated to discover these features for themselves. And of course Facebook serves its own interests – it's a company, not a charity. Capitalism, folks.
Comment by derp — September 1, 2010 @ 1:28 pm
@Denise It's not really set so the default is that you can be tagged. The first time someone tries to tag you, you'll be sent a message asking whether you want to authorize the request, deny it, or defer the decision until later.
Comment by Caitlin Fitzsimmons — September 1, 2010 @ 3:42 pm
i looked at my privacy settings and found them for facebook places, i changed them but im not sure if im gettin' it lol. is this an APP you have to install in order to even use it? or is it just apart of your facebook account that you have to use settings to make sure others dont see where you are. is it just a phone app? or does it work on computers?
Comment by jordan — September 1, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
im in canada so i havent been able to see it
Comment by jordan — September 1, 2010 @ 5:30 pm
riomx, I never said I am leaving facebook. I only said I would before I'd use Facebook places. So fucking stop being a bitch, BITCH!! Not everyone can be as smart as you, but then there's always a smartass everywhere ya go.
And my friend didn't choose to use it. She didn't understand how it worked and what she was doing until I explained it to her. She now has it disabled.
Comment by chilly — September 2, 2010 @ 10:32 am
@Jordan It’s only been rolled out in the US so far and I don’t know if everyone has it yet. There’s an app for the iPhone or you can access it through the mobile Facebook site. You won’t see it on the main web version.
Comment by Caitlin Fitzsimmons — September 2, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
So, chilly, what you are saying is that your friend decided to use it from her mobile phone without even knowing what it did or how to use it? she went to her phone and chose to " check in", then chose the place she was at, and didn't realize it was a check in program… that is fucking fantastic! I have never heard of someone being that stupid.. I think you both should leave Facebook…. Btw has she won the Nigerian lottery lately?
Comment by zoso — September 3, 2010 @ 10:35 am
Some innocent, gullible kid could be in trouble with this kind of feature. You can't say that everyone on facebook is as well informed as, well people like us who are even interested to read on what facebook is and is not.
It was a choice but sometimes these people aren't aware of the danger they are bringing upon themselves.
On the other hand, this could work well if you are working in the field and you HAVE to broadcast or advertise where you've been and where you are.
Mavic
facebook user
Comment by Mavic Relayson — September 4, 2010 @ 12:28 am
Once again….its no different than someone making a post saying, "_____ is chillin @ (insert place) with (insert friends names). There's nothing auto about it, it's your choice to use it or not. And let's not forget, only people you allow to see your profile can see it. So if you're worried about some creep-o tracking you down, maybe you shouldn't have creep-os on your friends list.
Comment by B Rocka — September 4, 2010 @ 7:21 am
Need to track where she really is right now through facebook… PLEASE ADVICE.
Comment by JONEY — September 16, 2010 @ 9:24 pm