Thursday, December 10, 2009

Facebook's War on Privacy

Naegle: I guarantee I can find some new revenue streams. Step one: Let's sell some ad space. Reverend, how would you feel about wearing this robe? [holds up a robe with "Fatso's Hash House" embroidered on it]
Lovejoy: Mmm...conflicted?
Burns: Too bad! You've already signed the deal.
Naegle: Actually, he hasn't.
Burns: Oh. Well, we highly value your input. [menacing] Until you sign the deal...
-- Simpsons, She of Little Faith
I am deeply concerned with Facebook's new privacy policy. As I understand it, the most damaging change is that a good portion of every Facebook profiles will now be public -- name, photo, location, groups, friends, etc. I can't fathom how this ever seemed like it would be a good idea. The possibilities for exploitation are astronomical. Anyway, I'll stop ranting now and point you to other people who have written much more eloquent pieces on this and suggest some actions you can take.

More information
What you can do
  • Share these links on Facebook, Twitter, and email! That's the easiest way to spread this information to people who need it.
  • Sign ACLU's petition to Facebook.
  • Visit the dotRight's Take Action page.
  • A properly organized (inter)national protest might bring this the media coverage it deserves... (need help from EFF and ACLU for this)
(P.S. Yes, there are some positive aspects of the changes. However, these come at too great a cost and they're completely independent of the negative portions.)

Update (12.11.2009): Some more links as this unfolds: