Delete Your Facebook!
Well, I’d have a hard time selling that statement. But you should be careful when using it.
It’s not mere coincidence that my last post was regarding Facebook’s charmingly lengthy privacy statement and this one is about Facebook’s privacy issues.
It all comes out
Recently the internet has been abuzz of Zuckerberg’s early IM conversion regarding privacy. Here it is below:
Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask.
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How’d you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don’t know why.
Zuck: They “trust me”
Zuck: Dumb fucks.
Of course this conversation is completely out of context and for all we know it was a big joke. At the time of his posting this Facebook was still a relatively small website and did not have a lot of social power. It may not have been on his mind to be so careful about things he said to friends.
On the other hand, the Facebook community has been continually rallying against privacy policies changes, usually accusing Facebook of attempting to sell personal data to third parties.
I figure Facebook will continue to do what it does best and beat it’s hornet’s nest of a privacy policies until eventually it stops getting stung. Of course it’s a big nest with lots of hornets.
The recent Facebook controversy has made me seriously consider the level to which I will use the website. A friend of mine has completely removed his account because of it.
I doubt many of you will follow that lead, but you should, at the very least be ever mindful to the personal information you are giving away.
Because you also have to bear in mind that if Facebook owning your personal life isn’t enough, the fact that Facebook’s website are hosting in the States means your information belongs to the Department of Homeland Security whenever they want it.
