Facebook details upcoming privacy changes with notifications to users on mobile & desktop

Posted:
in General Discussion edited November 2014
Facebook pushed a rare service notification to users on Tuesday, reminding millions of the social network's members of updates to its terms, data and cookies policies, advertising systems, and new privacy controls.




Facebook's new Privacy Basics feature walks users through the steps required to tweak their privacy settings to their own liking. Interactive guides are available for customizing settings in three areas --?"what others see about you," "how others interact with you," and "what you see" --?that show the process needed to make changes.

The company also reminded users to review changes to its terms of service and policies surrounding the collection of data, tracking cookies, and advertising. Facebook says many of the changes are designed to increase transparency about operations, including:

  • Details about how location information is collected and used when on mobile devices.

  • Information about the new Buy button that allows users to make purchases without leaving Facebook.

  • Explanations of the way Facebook analyzes device data, like battery and signal strength, to improve its apps.

  • Additional details describing how Facebook shares data between its services, like WhatsApp and Instagram

Finally, Facebook will now respect users' advertising preferences regardless of the device they are on. Previously, opting out of advertisements on a laptop would not opt out of the same ads on an iOS device, for instance.

The changes, which will take effect on Jan. 1, come as Facebook -- and numerous other Silicon Valley firms -- are under fire from privacy advocates. Recent data leaks and the ongoing revelations of coercion by the National Security Agency have eroded public confidence and brought information security and privacy to the forefront.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17

    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?

  • Reply 2 of 17

    Rare? more like Routine.

     

    It happens this week every year.  (last year it was Wednesday night before Tday).

  • Reply 3 of 17
    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?

    No one, I guess, except for the few billion kids old enough to carry a phone...
  • Reply 4 of 17
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?

    Believe it or not facebook has lots of heavily active users.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    Originally Posted by WonkoTheSane View Post

    ...kids...

     

    And there’s my point.

     

    You’d think that someone who removed himself from the world because of instructions on a pack of toothpicks would agree with me on this. ;)

  • Reply 6 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post





    Believe it or not facebook has lots of heavily active users.

     

    I use it every day to reach hundreds of people.


     


    Event organizers find it indispensable... that and Twitter.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,284member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post

     

     


     

    And how do you communicate with the rest of the universe???

  • Reply 8 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mike1 View Post

     

     

    And how do you communicate with the rest of the universe???


     

    Sorry... is this supposed to mean something?

  • Reply 9 of 17
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,040member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by WonkoTheSane View Post



    No one, I guess, except for the few billion kids old enough to carry a phone...

    Actually, the heavier Facebook users tend to be middle-aged females.

     

    Many kids have moved onto Instagram, Snapchat, and probably a half dozen other services I haven't heard of yet.

  • Reply 10 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?


    Yes. 

  • Reply 11 of 17

    AI and all the other forums could easily be classified as the earliest forms of social networking,

  • Reply 12 of 17
    dachardachar Posts: 330member

    Today in the UK it has been reported that a Government investigation into the terrible murder of a solider in the street by two men revealed that "An American internet service" had information on one of the pages of the murderers that revealed his plot to kill a solider before he carried ou the murder. The BBC has subsequently indicated that they believe this internet provider was Facebook. The Prime Minister has said that the withholding of the information by the "American internet service" is unacceptable. I guess that Facebook or whoever it was does not actively monitor for these type of things so how they were able to know, and then who they should inform, was not explained. I suspect Facebook is likely to become critised over the next few days in the UK with calls to change the law. I wonder if the timing Facebook's "rare service notification" is in reply to the finger pointing from the UK government?

  • Reply 13 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?


     

    of course. most of my friends & family, who live far away from me on either coast, use fb. i use it to keep tabs on their happenings. 

  • Reply 14 of 17

    I have used Apple products for years and am a great supporter of everything Apple (sorry, just had to include a troll-tastic beginning there), I use Facebook every day and get tons of work from contacts on there (I'm in the film business).

    And, it helps me stay up with family without actually talking to them ;)

  • Reply 15 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by studiomusic View Post

     

    And, it helps me stay up with family without actually talking to them ;)


     

    ... and that is reason enough for Facebook's existence.  :-)

  • Reply 16 of 17
    And there’s my point.

    You’d think that someone who removed himself from the world because of instructions on a pack of toothpicks would agree with me on this. ;)

    Ha. I know teachers that ask their pupils to found a whatsapp or fb group. i guess it must be same kind of people that's responsible for printing these instructuons ;)

    On a more serious note: I know kids that get easily 200 notifications per day. Most through group chats on FB or whatsapp. Then, I know Teachers that encourage their pupils to found a group, including the teacher. That's so.... Doubleplusuncool.
  • Reply 17 of 17
    Who cares? Does anyone still use social networking, much less this privacy-raping garbage?

    Way too many people still use it. Besides how else are all the hipsters across the country supposed to synchronize their protests if not by social networking? :lol:
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