Thursday, December 10, 2009

Facebook Rolls Out New, Simplified, and Improved Privacy Features

 

(from Lifehacker)

There's been a lot of talk recently about Facebook and privacy (with good reason), but the settings weren't always user-friendly. Today, Facebook began rolling out their new simplified, yet feature-rich security settings to keep its users on top of their privacy.

It doesn't appear to be out for all accounts yet (my account has yet to change), but if your account has been switched, you should be prompted to set your security settings as soon as you log in. In fact, it will keep bugging you until you do set them—forcing users to take an active role in their privacy (which, for the many users who haven't even looked at their privacy settings since 2005, is probably a good thing).

The settings in the wizard have been narrowed down a lot to avoid confusion, and really only give you two choices—Facebook's recommended setting for that feature, or your old settings. However, once you go through the wizard, you will have a new feature on your profile that allows you to set who can see each individual status update, wall post, or any other individual post you make: everyone, friends of friends, only friends, or something more specific (blocking certain people, for example). Regional networks have been done away with in favor of this simpler "friends of friends" approach that, with how large networks have become since the college-only days, makes quite a bit more sense. What do you all think of the new privacy features? Sound off in the comments.

New Tools to Control Your Experience [Facebook Blog via CNET]