I for one was annoyed when Facebook changed their privacy settings recently. I’m an occasional user of FB and I found it troublesome. I spent several days dealing with non-technical friends and family in an attempt to help them lock down their accounts.
From Computer World:
As part of the revamp, Facebook introduced a privacy configuration wizard to allow users to set their privacy preferences. The company said the revisions would make it far simpler for users to set their privacy preferences and enable them to make more informed choices concerning the use of their personal data.
However, the lawsuit, which was filed by five Facebook users on behalf of all Facebook users, alleged that the company’s modifications have only resulted in more personal data being pushed out to the Internet while making privacy options even harder to exercise.
I can’t disagree with the premise of the lawsuit. I was able to randomly browse accounts that I knew were previously locked down. So yes, the changes did leak more than people were even aware.
Short story. If you want to keep your personal information private, don’t post it on a site you don’t control.
(Image used under CC from sunside)