Facebook Privacy: Not far enough still

May 26, 2010

I feel very strongly about how Facebook continually forces users to be less secure by default.

Let me show you what I mean.

  • Facebook Social Plugin is used on over 100,000 websites
  • Facebook already has the “Only Me” option, but unless you look for it very hard, you will not find it

All I want Facebook to do is to add the “Only Me” option as a one-click button to instantly secure your account.

Most users don’t realize how much Facebook shares by default.  As the service continues to envelop the globe, it’s becoming a de-facto database potentially containing every human on Earth.

I don’t think I am out of line when I suggest that some of them might want to keep their privacy and have the option to share data sporadically.

To that extent, I posted a comment on Techcrunch http://tcrn.ch/bhrw4T and got attacked for being ridiculous to apply a “secure by default” concept to social media.

However, I happen to own a startup that is acutely focused on security. One of the problems we solve is data disclosure. Thus, I am aware of what happens when wrong data becomes published.

Sooner or later, a high profile case will highlight this point.

A simple example could be this.

You apply for a job. You don’t want to show up on their radar screens, so you lock down your social media accounts. You are hired, and you unlock them.

Another example could be getting your parents on Facebook.

They don’t know how far-reaching it is. So setup a sandbox for them until they are ready to figure out how to adjust privacy settings.

Facebook should offer the option of “Only Me” as one of its default options. “Friends Only” is not enough. We make “friends” in social games who might not necessarily be very friendly.

I have about 400 friends on my Facebook account. Out of them, only 12 are in my “Real Friends” list. The rest are casual contacts. They shouldn’t see a lot of data my real friends are entitle to access.

Leave a Reply