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jsr

(7,712 posts)
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 02:36 PM Dec 2012

Facebook no longer allows people to hide themselves from search

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323981504578175331966182150.html

Facebook Simplifies Privacy Settings
By EVELYN M. RUSLI

... The Menlo Park, Calif., social networking company also removed one privacy option that will effectively make it more difficult for users keep their information hidden.

With the changes, Facebook is also taking away the option to hide oneself from the main search tool. Previously, a user could opt to keep his or her timeline outside of search. The company said very few people used this option, and a person's timeline was discoverable through other avenues on the site, which made the option less relevant.

The move rankled some privacy experts, who believe it could violate Facebook's recent settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. Earlier this year, Facebook reached a settlement with the FTC related to privacy changes it made in 2009, which regulators deemed "unfair and deceptive." As part of the settlement, Facebook agreed to privacy audits for 20 years.

"Facebook's decision not to allow people to hide themselves from search appears to violate the settlement," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Many people posted stuff on their timelines that they did not expect to be publicly searcheable." ....
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Facebook no longer allows people to hide themselves from search (Original Post) jsr Dec 2012 OP
I'm a little confused by this. If my profile is set to "friends only"... arcane1 Dec 2012 #1
Yes sharp_stick Dec 2012 #4
Thanks, I am as private as possible arcane1 Dec 2012 #7
You're not alone tilsammans Dec 2012 #8
We weren't even informed by them about the vote on the new privacy changes arcane1 Dec 2012 #9
If you want to keep something private.......don't post it on any sites thelordofhell Dec 2012 #2
Including here sharp_stick Dec 2012 #5
And why should anything that the office of Total Information Awareness does surprise anyone?. . . Journeyman Dec 2012 #3
"Facebook is part of the CIA" "Amazing" green for victory Dec 2012 #11
The more this stuff happens Old Codger Dec 2012 #6
FB no longer redirects my friends' messages to my private email address CJCRANE Dec 2012 #10
Facebook did that to all of its users a while back: arcane1 Dec 2012 #12
 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
1. I'm a little confused by this. If my profile is set to "friends only"...
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 02:48 PM
Dec 2012

my timeline would still be invisible to others, right? I'll show up in search but it will still be the same profile: just a photo and my name.

Is that correct?


Edited to add: am I the only one that gets annoyed by the fact that Facebook NEVER informs its users about changes, that we always have to hear about them from some third party??

sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)
4. Yes
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:03 PM
Dec 2012

as long as your set up to friends only nobody should see your stuff.

If you want to see what you look like to an outsider go to your timeline and click on the little down arrow to the right of the "activity log" and click on "view as". the page should show up as it looks to the public. You can type in individual friends to see how you have them set if you have different set ups for friends and colleagues or something like that.

Facebook changes and the difficulty of navigating their privacy settings are both terrible. I have a couple of friends who try to keep up and fill me in as changes come around.

 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
7. Thanks, I am as private as possible
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:11 PM
Dec 2012

FB's search feature sucks anyway, it's something out of the 1990's. Good luck finding an old friend named John Smith!

tilsammans

(2,549 posts)
8. You're not alone
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:12 PM
Dec 2012

I too am annoyed by Facebook's not informing users of changes. I manage a FB group for a nonprofit, and it's the same there as well.

 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
9. We weren't even informed by them about the vote on the new privacy changes
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:19 PM
Dec 2012

No wonder voter turnout was "apathetic"

thelordofhell

(4,569 posts)
2. If you want to keep something private.......don't post it on any sites
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 02:55 PM
Dec 2012

Are people really so stupid as to think anything they post on a site is private??

sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)
5. Including here
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:04 PM
Dec 2012

you're absolutely right, if it's posted somewhere your control over it from then on is weak at best.

Journeyman

(15,001 posts)
3. And why should anything that the office of Total Information Awareness does surprise anyone?. . .
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 02:56 PM
Dec 2012

regardless of what name it currently employs?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office



CJCRANE

(18,184 posts)
10. FB no longer redirects my friends' messages to my private email address
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:44 PM
Dec 2012

so I now have to log onto FB to check.

I don't know if this a change in policy or if I just inadvertantly changed my settings.

 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
12. Facebook did that to all of its users a while back:
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 05:50 PM
Dec 2012

Set everyone's default email to their Facebook.com address. If you go into your profile, you should be able to change it.

Also, if you have a mobile app for Facebook, it does it automatically in your phone too

Details here:
http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/06/facebook-confirms-changing-users-default-email-addresses-more-changes-coming.php

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