This is a post for anyone on Facebook who doesn’t check their privacy controls frequently. You may want to start.
Because of a tweet by a coworker, I went to my FB privacy settings. I noticed something alarming. Facebook has added a feature that connects you to many different sites. This isn’t really anything new; Facebook Connect has been around for a while and can be pretty helpful. But this one appalled me as a pretty (self-proclaimed) savvy web and Facebook user.
Take a minute to do this. Go to your Privacy Settings and click on “Applications and Websites”. Then click on the “What your friends can share about you” settings button. See that list of sites? Your friends on Facebook, totally unbeknown to you, will automatically transfer YOUR information to those websites without even realizing it when they hit the site. Likewise, if YOU hit the site, you’ll send THEIR information to the site. To me, that is a complete breach of privacy that I did NOT sign up for when I joined Facebook. If you want to allow that info to get automatically sent, then leave everything alone. If you’re a bit skeeved by it, uncheck the boxes and save those changes!
That’s step one. Step two is to click the settings button in “Instant Personalization Pilot Program”. You’ll have to uncheck that box and save it if you don’t want anything to go to these sites.
It doesn’t necessarily bother me that Facebook shares this info. What bothers me is that they share it by DEFAULT and don’t tell you about it in an obvious way. I used to laud Facebook like crazy, especially when the other option was MySpace (*shudder*). But if they keep this crap up, I might have to delete my account.
Remember, kids, what you post on Facebook is not personal and private. None of it. You have to work really hard to keep your life even within your specific circle of friends if you post things to Facebook. Just be aware.
-j
I'm Jason, and I like to write.
Very useful. Thank ye.
Let’s get that mileage movin’ again.