Facebook Breaches Privacy, Again

At the time when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was being named Time magazine's Person of the Year, beating the popular favorite, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Facebook users have been sharing their unsettled and concerned opinions, often unfolding the thunder of their frustrations to that of an exasperated uproar. A quick visit into Facebook's Help directory is a telltale sign of unrest.

Yes, Facebook has breached its policy on privacy; again. And this may very well prove to be the last straw of toleration towards Facebook strategies that have toyed with many a user.

Over the years, Facebook has had issues in trying to keep the social network under tight reins with its privacy policy due to lawsuits. As of May 2010, their privacy act now reads 5,830 words long; words that might as well be thrown into the slush basket.

Facebook has been trying to gain popularity as one of the biggest social networks on the internet, and in order to do this, its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, realized that the user needed to trust the social networking site into believing privacy would not be violated. However, Zuckerberg definitely had a spade up his sleeve, very cleverly allowing 'privacy loopholes' upon its users, wanting their personal information made public over the last several years, believing that the market industry and developers would offer better products to the users if they were able to be reached.

Facebook is, indeed, a business, and it is baiting by endeavoring to make its social network more appealing, by playing with a double-edged sword.

It would appear the social network has very cleverly devised to continue leaking the private information of its users, whilst simultaneously seeking to assure its users that they now have better control over stricter privacy settings, which have supposedly been integrated in one of Facebook's recent updates. Needless to mention, the latter tactic is the bait.

So what is the last Facebook-user outcry? Apparently, Facebook wall comments appearing in a user's 'Recent Activity', can allow their diverse friends, and their friends of friends, to gain entry into another user's account, even if that user has set all their privacy controls to the strictest notch.

Yes, there's a breach. Perhaps minute to some, but nonetheless, another dip down the Facebook roller coaster ride with users feeling betrayed after Zuckerberg's announcement of late last year that a new interface would be implemented with greater privacy control.

However, after this new implementation in an attempt to pacify the angry mob, the most recent update has riled the natives up again. Facebook users have become more disgruntled being spammed with ads, having their privacy controls messed with, and not forgetting to mention tiptoeing delicately with what can be disclosed as opposed to what should never be exposed.

The Facebook social networking addiction is strong, and so people are shrugging their shoulders giving into the idea that total privacy is impossible, unless one abandons their Facebook account altogether. On the contrary, some users are even enjoying the exhibitionism, only influencing and attracting more users to become daringly bold. Definitely a hotbed for stalkers and predators searching for the large percentage of unsuspecting users who have come to believe that Facebook is now 'safe', since its last update. Wrongo in the congo.

There's a strange irony floating: it's not the Facebook user having any control; it's Facebook having control over the users.

The question that remains: are Facebook users willing to take the risk of having their privacy dissected? If the users are out for the 'business venture', by all means, Facebook is the place to be. For the users who believe that their private information will remain private, it would be wise to 'walk the Facebook Wall' carefully.

Sources:

Zuckerber Speaks ! New Privacy Settings Coming to Facebook (But no Rollbacks)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook
Criticism of Facebook