This morning Facebook announced a new set of privacy settings that they hope will be sufficient enough to make them essentially permanent, as Mark Zuckerberg described during his presentation. For many users, the new settings means greater control over privacy. While there are always aspects of the privacy settings to criticize, we think this is a major step in the right direction. Below are 10 things you need to know about the new changes that were announced today.
You Can Opt Out Of Applications
Facebook has now introduced a button for users to opt out from the entire Facebook Platform. That means you can block all applications, games, etc. While developers will probably not be happy about this, this means users no longer have to deal with application requests, as well as spam on their wall from applications. That means the more that developers spam, the more likely users will opt-out of the Facebook Platform all together.
You Can Hide Your Friends List
One major upgrade is that users’ friends lists can now be made private. That means applications and other third-party developers will not be able to find out who your friends are. Additionally, all friends can be made private which means anybody who found your Facebook profile through Google can be prevented from finding out who your friends are. This is a major move by Facebook in terms of giving users more control.
You Can Hide Your Interests
Facebook’s interests were recently shifted to a system called “Connections”. That means those interests, which were essentially made public when the new community pages first rolled out in April, can now be made private. This is a huge win for users who suddenly found out that a large percentage of their profile
Much Information Is Still Public By Default
When users register for the site, it appears that a lot of information will still be public by default. This is different than the more private nature of the site, which Facebook started as. However, all new users will be able to customize their privacy settings and make their information more private. Facebook believes that more users want to share more information about themselves, as society becomes more transparent, and as such their default settings reflect this.
Instant Personalization Is Still Opt-Out
One of the things that Facebook may be criticized about with the new privacy settings is that the company’s “Instant Personalization” program is still opt-out, something that we revealed would be the case on Monday. While the company has stated that opting out has now become much easier, we haven’t had a chance to interact with the new privacy settings yet. Once we do, we will be sure to provide an update.
You Can Hide Information From The Past
By shifting your information to “Friends Only” you can prevent previous status updates from being made public. This is a great feature. Many users have been confused about privacy settings over the past couple years, and by making the settings work for information that was posted in the past, and in the future, users should now be clear about what is public and what isn’t.
You Should Review Your Settings
Once the new privacy settings roll out, you should immediately check your settings. This is because your settings will be saved as they currently exist. So if you have information that was made public through Facebook’s last privacy change (via the transition tool), you can now go back and make content (including status updates) that were previously made public, private.
Privacy Now Only Takes One Click
The most significant change here is that Facebook has shifted the privacy settings to only require one-click. By selecting “Everyone”, “Friends of Friends”, “Friends Only”, or “Recommended”, users can have most of their settings configured quickly. If users decide that they want to get even more granular with their settings, each aspect of their privacy can still be configured, as was the case before.
There Is Now A Single Directories Settings Page
Your Facebook information shows up in a number of directories around the web. In order to control how that information was displayed, you previously needed to visit a number of pages. All of those settings pages have been boiled down into a new privacy directory page (pictured below). This will control how (and if) people from Google, and within Facebook search are able to access you.
Settings Will Be Rolled Out Over The Next Few Weeks
Over the next few weeks, users will see the new privacy settings rolled out to via www.facebook.com/privacy. As users get used to the settings, we will be posting more comprehensive guides that explain everything. Overall, the new settings should be much easier as they only require a single click rather than configuring 50 different things. For those users what granular control, it still exists, but the redesigned privacy settings were built for the masses and that means they should be much more simple.
Check back over the coming weeks to learn more about what these new settings mean for you and your privacy and safety.
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“Settings Will Be Rolled Out Over The Next Few Weeks”: will we be notified when the roll-out reaches us, or do we have to keep checking to see if it has reached us yet?
Thank you for this very informative post! We’ll be sure to watch for these upgrades and we’ll look for your future posts as well.
There’s one privacy feature I really really really wish they’d implement: the ability to block a list of friends from posting on the wall. I know we’re not alone in wanting this feature!
Keep up the good work!
Melanie Yunk
Melanie’s Fine Foods
This is a step in the right direction, but it won’t be satisfactory until users have total privacy control over ALL data they enter into facebook.
Thanks as always for making policies simple to understand!
Very, very helpful. Much thanks.
Please keep us informed as to when the changes become effective.
I follow your posts daily on Infochats.com and will be watching for thaat post.
If, as you say, “Facebook believes that more users want to share more information about themselves,” then Facebook would make all sharing opt-in, and let the users-who-want-to-share make the choices. The fact that they continue to use opt-out security already sufficiently demonstrates that they believe nothing of the sort.
great post and topic- thank you very much.
as Edward says, those of us who already locked up our Facebook pages in April for those changes - we have to keep on aiming at their moving target till these settings are permanent? i admire them for addressing this issue in a timely fashion.
I still think a lot of the damage is already been done… Most people have no idea that the default “Privacy” setting were set to being open. And the steps that you had to go through in order to adjust your privacy were esoteric at best. The idea that FB can just change the rules and make you awair of the face after the change has been made is frustrating. I just assume that everything that I do on line is not private and I am OK with that.
Thanks for your singular devoted efforts. They are very much appreciated. Even Facebook has been shown to have ulterior pecuniary motivations.
Of course FB will not notify you. They expect you to get off your lazy butt and research the changes for yourself as it’s always been. Anyway, I’ve been using these settings for the past few weeks now. 60% is old news to me anyway. And anyone who hasn’t had their stuff set to “friends only” since ‘05 is stupid. Because back then, EVERYTHING in your network was visible. I mean COLLEGE networks. The principle FB was founded on and has lost its way since then.
Last night I received a “Pop up” notice from facebook with 26 “public pages” gleaned from my employer, profession, school, interests, etc. I have always went for the most restrictive setting of “only friends” and disallowed any google searches. I was given the option of allowing these “26 public pages” to be linked to my interests, employer, school - in reality bypassing my settings for “only friends”, as the public pages would be the link in the search. I was able to uncheck all and allow no public pages based on my interests and info. THE PUNISHMENT IS: those sections disappear and are visible to no one not even me. I cannot list the school I graduated from for my friends or the fact that I am a nurse UNLESS I AGREE TO LINK THAT SCHOOL OR MY PROFESSION to the public pages which I refuse to do. Therefore, nothing about my hobbies or interests are now visible to my friends. I am glad that the friends list will now be private. How is it my business if I look up a stranger on facebook and without their knowledge or permission have access to all their friends - that is so wrong!
Last night I received a “Pop up” notice from facebook with 26 “public pages” gleaned from my employer, profession, school, interests, etc. I have always went for the most restrictive setting of “only friends” and disallowed any google searches. I was given the option of allowing these “26 public pages” to be linked to my interests, employer, school - in reality bypassing my settings for “only friends”, as the public pages would be the link in the search. I was able to uncheck all and allow no public pages based on my interests and info. THE PUNISHMENT IS: those sections disappear and are visible to no one not even me. I cannot list the school I graduated from for my friends or the fact that I am a nurse UNLESS I AGREE TO LINK THAT SCHOOL OR MY PROFESSION to the public pages which I refuse to do. Therefore, nothing about my hobbies or interests are now visible to my friends. I am glad that the friends list will now be private. How is it my business if I look up a stranger on facebook and without their knowledge or permission have access to all their friends - that is so wrong!
Yesterday I deleted my account. It felt really good. I’m glad these changes were not made sooner.
1) You do know there was a complete Platform opt-out option for quite a while up until last fall, right?
2) Despite Zuckerberg’s descriptions of the new privacy settings, I’m not sure they will modify who can access past status updates. I haven’t seen a clear statement on this, but most of what I’ve read would seem to indicate the new settings only apply to future status updates. Not sure if you have a source for further clarification, but I’d be interested in hearing more about that point.
LIARS!
A few months ago, I changed all of my settings basically to ‘Only Me’, and only left posts to be viewed by my friends only, and things I have been tagged in.
I disallowed people to post on my wall, removed ALL info including current city, likes, website (I’m a photographer), etc… EVERYTHING, and disallowed them to share with apps through FBConnect.
So WHY when, after reading this, when I went to check my settings again just for good measure, that even though they have not rolled out these new changes, THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL NEW OPTIONS THAT HAS DEFAULTED FOR ME TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE?!?!?
I check my privacy settings twice a month.
CHECK YOURS NOW!
I want to know what happened to the log-on logo that was on aol homepages? It went right to your list of friends and family and what they had to say before you go the their facebook page. I don’t like this new format with everyone on it.
Your “Hide Your Interests” paragraph needs some editing…
What, no Creative Commons?
this is not true user protection until they let you own your copyrights to your content.
interesting point of view here:
http://www.technolosophy.com/2010/05/why-i-committed-facebook-suici-1.html
Hi, I changed my friend list to ‘Only Me’ in the privacy settings….. BUT when I look at my profile as one of my friends, the page I see shows mutual friends BUT they can still click on ‘all friends’ and see the list….
The ‘only me’ option is obviously very limited ??
http://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php
I want to clarify a statement on this webpage re: tagging. What happens to a photo/video’s status when you remove your name from a tag?
My questions comes from the second sentence of this statement: “You control who can see the photos and videos you’re tagged in that appear on your profile. Keep in mind, the owner of a photo can still share that photo with people you’re not friends with, so remove the tag from the photo or video if you don’t want that to happen.”
I understand the first sentence. But if I now remove my name from a tag, does that prevent non-Friends from seeing that photo/video on my own Friend’s FB page? What about other people in that same photo/video who were tagged? Will their friends not be able to see this photo/video AT ALL? Talk about the ultimate control of your own image! Then what would be the sense of Friends tagging their own friends?
I don’t think I grammatically misunderstood the sentence; it seems very clear to me. It could be that Facebook did not clarify or write its statement clearly. I’m reading/understanding it verbatim. Or is there something I’m missing or misunderstanding from this statement?
lets see if these settings work for us or not. bt now fb has lost its charm n it has become more like orkut n other stupid networking websites, bit i would say tht orkut has improved its settings after fb.
there should also b done something about ‘hiding’ ur ‘recent activity’..its a mess all over the page.
will b looking forward to the new settings bt i would must say tht i have stopped sharing my photos after the uneffective settings of fb.. pls look into this matter.
thanks
Good show by facebook. The privacy bullets are made visual, not textual. It is easy on eyes to select between everyone/fof/friends only.
I deleted one FB account and opened another one. I now consider everything I post to be public. I don’t trust that FB cares a whit about my privacy.
all can be but for prepare,you can see like the taxi,driver,and time work,the way of street all operator in FB because that we love the activity,only we must have the true terminaly or group we interested,and the friends we like or women we choose to be friends and family,than you
k
GROUPS NO LONGER APPEAR UNDER INFO TAB! You cannot see yours and you cannot see groups your friends have joined!! WHY?!
Facebook’s constant ‘changing of the rules in the middle of the game’ is annoying at most. Privacy. Do you REALLY expect it on a social network? Unless you are friends only with people who have sworn never ever to share what you post on Facebook you shouldn’t expect it. What’s to stop someone in your network from taking a screen grab of your profile and posting it elsewhere? You can’t… In my opinion, there’s no such thing as absolute privacy in the social space.
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Keith, that must be an error in their statement. I’ve had friends detag themselves on my photos, and I’ve also detagged myself, and those photos still very much exist on other pages and my own on mine (with all other tags intact, I might add.) What the heck are they thinking when they write up this stuff?
thank you very much.But I have a lot of problem with proxy in my country:Iran and I can’t use facebook! what can I do?
Here’s a novel idea: If you’re worried about your privacy on Facebook, stop crying and delete your account.
Facebook needs to be told that “Facebook is on the Internet, Facebook is NOT the Internet”. Why can’t these companies participate and contribute rather than control and dictate. Do the principals really need to have millions of dollars each year for their personall fortunes. I think not.
The people to respects and emulate are the real innovators and gifted people like Berners-Lee, Torvolds, Stallman, ets. They are great men not rech men.
I don’t know how to prevent comments made to friends’ walls to go unpublished. I don’t see a way to do that. Is there?
Before you post anything & hit “share”, put your cursor over the black lock. If it says “only me”, click on it & change it to “friends only” or “friends of friends” or “everybody”. Facebook has it set to “only me”, meaning nobody will be able to see your post except you. You may have to make this change e…ach time until Facebook fixes the problem.
A real step in the right direction. For those that still want to be able to make everything on FB private one would wonder what they are doing on a Social Network. The friends that need to know my phone number know it, those that are interested in my hobbies etc already know them, so not putting that stuff in FB in the first place is not really an issue
Please investigate the above claim that you cannot list the school you went to without telling the world that you went to the school?
Does anyone know how new settings will effect all are LIKES and COMMENTS being published to everyones feed?
- You Can Hide Your Friends List
- You Can Hide Your Interests
Where can I set these options? I can’t find them…
Thanks for clarifying this Nick, Facebook can be making things easier, but it is still difficult. The biggest problem is though that there are still a lot of holes in the privacy settings. For example, any of your frineds can TAG your photos and videos and thus make them visible to their friends and so on. This way a potentially emberrasing photo can go around or even pop back up in your life in a few years time.
sounds good..but..I realy worry about Fb’s facilities..I felt like trapped.It easy to be hacked or distorted like phishing acts and difficult to login..
Is it possible now to hide a friend from an other friend or from the everyone that appears on your friends’ list ?
Everyone is talking about the new privacy settings. How come my settings are still the old ones. Are they rolling this out in stages? Ridiculous!
how can you hide your intersets what about if people want to know about you but your can’t hide your friends list that be out of order
you can’t turn off facebook on the internet because people mite want to talk to their friends if its emergerny
There is actually a really good article about FB’s new privacy stuff in the May 31st Time Magazine issue. I think the privacy control is great and I’m looking forward to it being a little easier to use.