A number of cringe-inducing privacy changes came out of Facebook’s f8 conference last week (most of which we’ve documented here) but perhaps the most annoying new development is the fact that Facebook is forcing users to make their profile information public through Community Pages or face having their profile stripped bare.
If it hasn’t happened already, the next time you visit your Profile page, Facebook will show a pop window for something called “Connected Profiles.” At the official Facebook Blog, Connected Profiles is described as a way to “connect to everything you care about,” but the reality is that it’s a way for Facebook to strong arm users into opening up their personal information to the world.
Essentially what Connected Profiles does is find all of the information in your profile (hometown, education, work, interests, etc.) and then uses it to ask you whether you want to “Like” each subject’s respective Community Page on Faceboook. In other words, if you live in San Francisco, you will be asked to become a part of the San Francisco Community Page. Same goes for where you work, and the movies, TV shows, and music you like.
Far from being a casual opt-in feature, however, Facebook makes Connected Profiles something more complex. If you choose not to link your interests to Facebook’s predetermined Community Pages, Facebook will wipe the information from your profile clean, leaving you with only your basic information and bio. In other words, the only way to personalize your Facebook profile with information about yourself is to make that information public.
I understand Facebook’s motivations here, but I couldn’t be more frustrated with the company’s tactics. The majority of users who accept the conditions of Connected Profiles probably didn’t even realize what they were agreeing to (it’s no surprise the pop-up window for opting in is preset with a bold blue tab saying “Link All to My Profile”). For those who did take a minute to actually read what Facebook was doing, the option is no better. If you spent a lot of time honing your Facebook profile into something that reflects your personality, why should you be forced into either gutting it or sharing it with the world?
On the other hand, as Robert Scoble explained in today’s Quick Hits, Facebook doesn’t have to change its behavior because, by and large, Facebook users aren’t changing theirs. As long as people continue to accept the kind of high pressure tactics Facebook is employing, user privacy will continue to be placed on the back burner and that’s a real shame.
By the way, when it came to my personal profile, I opted to wipe it clean. It’s not that I care that the world knows I like Batman. I just hate being forced into making something public when it should be, by default, private.
What are you going to do about your profile? Will you “get connected” or are you going to take the plunge and wipe your profile clean?
11 comments ↓
This was an incredibly arrogant move on their part… so my protest was just to finish what they had started and delete all of my interests…
I found your page after having the same experience and reacting to it the same way you did. No offense Facebook, but who the hell do you think you are trying to force me to make my interests public if I want them reflected on my profile.
I’d like my friends, that I have chosen to add or not, to be able to see my interests. And that is it! I don’t like the naked profile, but its better that being strong armed into throwing my privacy aside.
As for myself, I have already removed most of my PII, and hopefully all of my PEI (personally embarrassing info). I only maintain a facebook account in hopes that I can convince others to delete theirs. Mass Attrition Rules!
This is the straw, Facebook. Been nice knowing ya.
I’ll wipe the info from my profile.
Facebook is only for keeping contact with some friends, I don’t need it. A few more of these and it’s bye bye FB
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found your page after having the same experience and reacting to it the same way you did. No offense Facebook, but who the hell do you think you are trying to force me to make my interests public if I want them reflected on my profile.
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john.miller
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