With social networks booming we have become used to putting information about us out on the Web that used to be rather private information only a few years ago. Actually not really! When I signed up for my Facebook account, I did so with the intent to connect with friends and family. Somewhere along the way I accepted the fact that now when I type my name into Google, my LinkedIn and Facebook profile turn up as some of the most relevant search results. What happened here?
Facebook has received criticism in the past few weeks about its privacy practices. Supposedly, an outraged blogger claimed that Facebook allowed a 3rd-party advertiser to use the picture of his wife. Facebook posted the following note today:
“Worried about privacy? Your photos are safe. There have been misleading rumors recently about the use of your photos in ads. Don’t believe them. These rumors were related to third-party applications, and not ads shown by Facebook. Get the whole story at the Facebook Blog, or check out the Help Center.”
I believe them. However, I still made sure that my privacy settings are updated. Facebook does have the right to use your information, unless you explicitly tell them in your privacy setting that you do not consent that your information is used in social ads.
Social networking is all about user generated content. Social networking is also about relevancy. Facebook is asking you if you are willing to share your interest and information with others, in turn, FB can serve you equally more relevant ads. The irony is that in a world of the open information flow, it’s almost impossible to know where your information ends up and how it is perceived.
I do think that consumers need better protection. And we as consumers should demand it, which I don’t think we have quite done yet. Why are privacy policies often a bit more convenient for the company then they are for the consumer? The default should always be to opt-in versus opt-out. A company should ask me for permission and not just assume I gave permission. Whether the story of the bloggers wife’s picture in the dating site ad is true or not, it sure made me think to make sure I understand how my information is used.
Sonja Scharrer
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Great points, Sonja. I agree, the default should be to opt-in instead of opt-out. I just wrote a piece about this last week on the Togetherville blog because it seems that young parents who use Facebook were surprisingly clueless about not-private their family photos were!
This was a great article and interesting to say the least. You definitely hit the nail on the head, infact I have been saying this to my clients for years.
You Wrote: “Social networking is all about user generated content. Social networking is also about relevancy…”
This is especially true in terms of search engine relevancy or even search engine placement in applications were social networking is used to gain not only PR value but market perspective.
Although I do use social networking myself to beef up my own visibility infact search my name “Justin Hamlin” and you get my personal (FB) profile.
I don’t like the fact that FB and other social networks are seemingly utilizing popular and local celebrities as a way to further their growth.
Then again I wouldn’t be as popular as them so of course from a technical point I would be upset.
Either way because of the user generated content aspect you mentioned they essentially because of this socially networked based popularity contest for both the novice and the expert have all the image content and user genrated text, info etc. they will ever need. Consider also that their numbers are are growing exponentially.
For more from Justin Hamlin contact him at: Paradox Marketing Solutions - Marketing…Made Simple.