Facebook Still Insists on Giving Out Your Cell Phone Number

Facebook is going ahead with a plan to allow third-party applications (games, flowers, etc...) to obtain your address and mobile phone number. Do you give your cell phone number to just anyone? And, why do they need it? Really, why does a game or other application on Facebook need to know where you live and how to reach you on your cell phone? You probably have friends and family that you allow to have your cell phone number, so why would you want some unknown application to have it?

Did you read the fine print?

You are supposed to have to check a box to allow this information to be divulged when you sign up for the application, but this can be very confusing. Facebook has admitted that they have received feedback that it could definitely be much more clear and distinct from other information requests.

Two congressmen wrote Facebook a letter requesting that they make it very clear to people exactly what access they are granting. According to Mashable.com, Facebook did not directly answer the request or explain their plans to U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Joe Barton (R-Texas).

The letter said Facebook is working on "enhancing" its permissions screen but didn't directly respond to the inquiry's suggestion to make the opt-in for sharing mobile numbers and addresses more distinct from other permissions. It did, on the other hand, note that every additional permission request an app makes results in about a 3% decrease in user click-through rates.

So in other words, the bottom line is that Facebook thinks that the purveyor of these third-party applications will be hesitant to request additional information because it results in fewer people granting access to the app. Only 3%? That proves that the information is not being clearly presented to the user who is granting access to an application, pure and simple.

So, what is the proper Application Invitation etiquette?

You probably receive those invitations every day. Someone sends you a rose, a thorn, a heart, or whatever, and you must sign up for the application to open the gift. You are sitting there wondering what to do; you would like to see what it says, but at the same time, you don't like to grant access to third party applications.

Although, you have a practical policy against granting access to third party applications, the sender may not know that or even understand it. You worry that they will take offense that you did not open, respond, and reciprocate. So, what is the proper thing to do? Is your notification list full of these, and you didn't even realize it? You may have your settings so that you don't see them.

So, what do you do? Please leave a comment and tell us. Some people make occasional status posts explaining that they don't do third part applications, and "Thanks for sending, but sorry." Maybe you just leave a comment on their profile thanking them for thinking of you.

We will eagerly be awaiting your thoughts. This is probably the 2011 equivalent of Emily Post etiquette regarding RSVP invitations? Social Media is sure changing everything, isn't it?