Facebook's Privacy Changes: A Simple Explanation

Facebook Privacy is quite the trending topic today. With Mr. Zuckerberg’s admission that Facebook hadn’t been doing enough to protect its users’ privacy and the introduction of new settings to fix that, there is a whole new set of talking points.

But what’s again lost in the brouhaha is user understanding. Do you know all the changes that Facebook is bringing about with regard to your privacy? And have you understood them all? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then have no fear. Here is an extract from an AP report that explains Facebook’s privacy changes simply in a few points:

What’s Changing

— Facebook currently gives users granular controls over many of the things they share on the site, such as each photo and status update. With the changes, users can apply the same settings to everything with one click, so that they can share with friends, friends of friends or everyone. But for those who want it, the granular controls are also staying.

— There is less information that Facebook makes automatically public. You can now hide your hometown, for example, and the pages for hobbies, books and other interests that you have linked to your profile. These were previously visible to everyone.

— Facebook says it will stop updating its privacy settings so frequently.

— Users can now turn off all outside applications and websites, instead of having to deny them access one by one.

— As it rolls out the changes, Facebook plans to notify users through a message that will appear on their page when they first log in.

— The changes apply retroactively, as well as to new services still to come.

What's Not Changing:

— Users' full name, profile picture, gender and work or college networks remain visible to everyone.

(Thanks to Bhairavi Singh for pointing us to the report).