Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg /Image Source: BBC
We’ve been reading, listening and watching the media go crazy over Facebook for its controversial and ‘complex’ privacy settings, but thankfully the row is finally over with them revealing a new set of ‘simplified’ privacy settings.
“The new system will offer users one privacy page with a list of all their applications and a choice of three settings for each. The redesigned privacy page allows users to see all their information in one grid and apply privacy settings to each. Facebook will suggest defaults. As with the changes made in December, users will be able to choose to share their applications with just friends, friends of friends or everyone,” reports the BBC.
The changes seem to be mere cosmetic, but it will help to guide ‘baffled’ users through an easier interface to configure their preferred privacy settings.
Will these new settings be able to settle the matter now? Well this question still remains unanswered. The BBC quoted Andrew Walls, a research director at analyst firm Gartner, saying some were not answered as there were “issues around the sharing of personal data with advertisers for doing targeted ads based on profile content. That’s a tricky one – how do you make money if you can’t sell targeted ads? How do you compete with Google?”
“They want sufficient privacy to attract users into service and take advantage of it but some sharing of data is also required in order for Facebook to make money,” he said.
But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg refuted the popular belief strongly and said, “No information is ever sold to advertisers and we’ll not do it ever. For the business part of Facebook, it makes no difference what your privacy settings are.”
So, what do you think? Have Facebook’s changes and Mark Zuckerberg’s assurance satisfied you and address your concerns? Or do we need yet another round of privacy-related hoopla?
See Also:
- Zuckerberg says Facebook Privacy Concerns Exaggerated
- New Facebook Groups Give You More Control over Your Privacy
- Debate Continues on Facebook Privacy Issues: What’s the Point?
- Facebook to Celebrate 500 Million Users Mark with “Facebook Stories”
- Facebook Revamps Messaging: But It’s Not an “Email Killer”
