Saturday, May 22, 2010

Privacy Concerns Cause A lot more Users To Delete Facebook Accounts

A lot more Facebook Accounts Deleted Because Of Privacy

You are able to go ahead and join the crowd if you are considering deleting your Facebook account. Facebook began a new feature that gave personal information to not only just friends, but the whole internet in April. People seem to be a lot more concerned about Facebook privacy issues and what Facebook is doing with their personal information. Web superstars, privacy advocates, and even politicians have announced that they’ll be deleting their Facebook accounts.

For privacy's sake, deleting Facebook accounts

Unless they block it manually, personal data is now fair game, so people are deleting their Facebook accounts. Blogger Mat McKeon reports that when Facebook was founded, in 2005, it restricted a user’s personal info to just friends and their network. Over the past couple of years, the default Facebook privacy settings for a user’s personal data have become as permissive as no fax payday loans no credit check. Now, everyone who wants to can see every little thing but your birthday and contact information. Users think it is confusing how Facebook also keeps changing what is classified as personal information.

Make sure to update your Facebook privacy settings

McKeon is not deleting his Facebook account or suggesting any person else should. He gets it that Facebook is trying to make money off of the data they get with their free service. But he does strongly advocates double and triple checking your privacy settings for a personal profile that might be giving out details from where you live to the movies you like and the individuals you trust. The Wall Street Journal reports that some high-profile members of the tech community, such as Google search-engine guru Matt Cutts and Engadget co-founder Peter Rojas, have announced recently that they were planning on deactivating their Facebook accounts, a step that shuts down but doesn't delete the Facebook account completely.

How do I delete my Facebook account forever?

It isn't as simple as a point and click to delete your Facebook account forever. Facebook makes it quite easy to deactivate your account, which will temporarily hide your info. As outlined by wikiHow, it is much a lot more difficult to discover the "permanent delete" option. This wikiHow article definitely answers the question: How do I delete my Facebook account forever?

Facebook privacy issues

“Delete Facebook account” has been a top search term on Google recently. After Facebook's developer conference a few weeks ago, ABC News reports the latest backlash started brewing. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about various changes that he said would make the Web a lot more social and personalized by expanding Facebook’s presence to other websites. On many sites a “social plug-in” now lets users “like” content and see what their Facebook friends have liked, directly from those online websites.

Facebook and privacy violations

Facebook by default is now giving third party companies member's friends lists, names, and hobbies. When a Facebook user logs onto a site with the Facebook social plug-in, the content displayed is shaped by all of the personal details in their Facebook account, as well as any personal information of their friends. To disable this feature, a manual opt-out is needed.

Advocates of Facebook privacy

Powerful legislator is on the side of people who are upset about Facebook privacy policies. “With great power comes great responsibility, and sites like Facebook have great responsibility,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference a week after Facebook’s announcements. “In my view, it ought to be the user who determines who gets what information, not Facebook.” Schumer asked the Federal Trade Commission to create guidelines for Facebook and other social networks to follow.

People delete Facebook account forever

Facebook hasn't done much to help its recent problem relating to privacy. In a Q and A session with the New York Times this week Elliot Schrage, Facebook's vice president for public policy, responded to all of the privacy concerns by saying that participating in Facebook is "a choice." He said "Please don't share if you're not comfortable.". That advice is being taken by many.

Article Resources

Mat McKeon reports

http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/

Wall Street Journal reports

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/05/14/looking-to-delete-your-facebook-account-youre-not-alone/



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