- Published: November 16, 2021
- Updated: November 16, 2021
- University / College: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 9
Privacy on Facebook Privacy on Facebook Question When Facebook came into being, the user had no option but to share an opinion to their friends alone. Over the years, the use of Facebook has changed as users intend to use it in a personal way. The changes in the privacy settings allow for the user to choose an audience that one intends to reach to. These features put the user in control of the content one wishes to share. The managers changed Facebook from being a private diary to a public forum where users could interact. According to Barry Schnitt, the changes in Facebook have come as a result of the users request. He states that eighty five percent of the users agreed to the public use of Facebook. He goes and explains further, that the change in the world requirements motivated the change (Rainer, 2008).
Question #2
The new changes in Facebook privacy settings have made the use simpler as compared to the old settings. The reduction in the number of settings has made it easy and clear for the use to comprehend. One of the important features that Facebook has is that the user controls the privacy settings of the viewers of ones content. The feature allows one to define the contents depending on whether one wants the friends or the business audience to view certain content of information. With the new settings, the user will have to pay attention to the default settings making the one responsible for the posts. Previously, many users used the default settings, which did not require any customization (Rainer, 2008).
Question #3
The new settings intend to have the users produce additional private data to the public. The new settings tend to allow sharing information to everybody in the network. Despite encouraging people to set the advanced settings according to their wish, the default settings tend to remain operational. Facebook, pushes the users to use the ” everyone” button to allow sharing of information worldwide. With this in place, it would undermine the privacy issues that Facebook began in the beginning. It would no longer have enough privacy for any data shared. In addition, users would find themselves sharing more than they intend to share. The ” recommended ” settings availed by Facebook mislead people as the users do not look into the features closely and examine the content (Rainer, 2008).
Question #4
Conveying information should not lead to violating someones privacy. Social sites have in possession private information that they have to protect. Sharing of private information is violating privacy laws. In as much as organisation that deals with sharing information have the right to operate their business, they need to consider the privacy regulations involved. The users of Facebook are not in control of their personal information ones they are online. Facebook has ensured that it captures personal information that matches ones real life when setting up an account. The contact important used in Facebook encourages users to invite friends from the email accounts. In addition, for one to access some applications in Facebook, one has to share private information. Although Facebook sees this as sharing information, it does not protect the privacy settings put by the user. In this case, conveying information is violating privacy of the same users (Rainer, 2008).
Reference
Rainer, K. (2008). Introduction to Information Systems: Supporting and Transforming Business. New York: Wiley.