Sunglasses & Trench Coats: Your Guide to the New Facebook Privacy Settings

In a thinly veiled attempt to compete with high traffic sites like Twitter, Facebook’s new privacy settings have upset some of its more clandestine users. The problem is this: these new modifications may put you at risk of publically publishing more information than you had originally intended. But don’t let this ruin your day. A great deal of your privacy can still be restored.  Here’s some help.

An important thing to remember when dealing with your new privacy settings is this: Everyone really does mean everyone. Literally, any person with Internet access can see this information. These new settings have also made it easier for your profile to be found using search engines such as Bing and Google. If you are uncomfortable with either of these modifications, they can be adjusted in your privacy settings.  Unfortunately, there are some pieces of information that are now permanently  publically available as a result of Facebook’s new policy. This public information includes:

• Your Name
• Your Profile Picture
• Current City
• Gender
• Network
• Your Friends List
• The Pages You are a “Fan” of

This information can now be seen by everyone who comes across your profile, even if they are not on your friends list.

Facebook has also made it easier for app developers and advertisers to utilize information on your profile. Now, whenever your friend adds an app, the app developers can gain access to your information, even if you don’t use apps. These changes have definitely agitated Facebook users who prefer to use the site as a social networking tool, as opposed to a means for self-promotion.

Although this new policy may seem disagreeable, the changes aren’t all bad. In a more popular move, Facebook now allows users to define the privacy of your Facebook content on a post by post basis. The site has also eliminated  regional networks. You take the good, you take the bad, I suppose.

If you need further help making adjustments to the privacy of your profile, here is a link to Facebook’s guide to privacy:  http://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.php