Opting Out of Facebook: Scary Facts About Their New Privacy Policy

I should have known I wouldn't be able to get Mo's interview edited while on vacation.  But I'll definitely get it posted by next Wednesday.

In the meantime, I have been trying to catch up on about 6 months of TWiT podcasts.  On a few of them they've been talking about the changes to the Facebook privacy policy, and specifically how it's become an "opt-out" policy, as opposed to "opt-in."

About a month or so ago I wrote a post on opt-out vs. opt-in with regards to e-mail marketing.  This, however, is way scarier.

According to Leo (Laporte), the new Facebook privacy policy automatically sets everybody's privacy settings to be fully public.  What this means is that you (Facebook user, assuming you are one) need to now go into your Facebook settings page and manually set to private anything you don't want available to users and apps outside your immediate circle of friends.

Taking this a step scarier, Facebook allows apps your FRIENDS use to gain access to YOUR private information, even though you have not granted them permission.

I was tempted to leave Facebook after hearing this but I find it highly useful in keeping up to date with my family, which happens to be scattered pretty widely.  So I stayed.

I have not yet inspected and adjusted my own privacy settings (it's on my list), but I've always treated my online postings, on any platform on the web, as a very public activity anyway.  I don't post anything *anywhere* that I wouldn't want my mother, husband, or potential client or employer to see.

Unfortunately there are many people out there who post very personal things.  I'd love to hear any thoughts and comments about this.