Law Technology

ACLU Weighs in on Facebook?s Privacy Issues

By Rex Gradeless

According to news reports, Facebook has called an “all hands” meeting today to discuss its privacy policies. That’s because they are facing a brewing revolt among Facebook users alarmed by the company’s cavalier attitude toward protecting your privacy.

In recent months, Facebook has rolled out some very privacy-unfriendly practices, from the “privacy transition” that took away privacy controls to “instant personalization” that instantly shares your personal information with third party pages without your consent.

At every step, the ACLU has been there to push back. Why? Because the less control you have over your own personal information, the more likely that information could end up in the wrong hands?including the government’s.

Sign the ACLU’s petition. Tell Facebook loud and clear that you want control of your personal information.

Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that “the default is social.” That means Facebook starts from the assumption that your personal information will be distributed far and wide without your consent. But, tens of thousands of you have signed the ACLU petition to make it clear that you want to share with your friends, not a spying government.

Facebook is feeling the heat. It’s time to hold the company’s feet to the fire and take back control of our personal information.

You?not Facebook?should decide who to trust with private information about your political interests, sexual orientation, and more.

Sign the ACLU Facebook privacy petition. Make it clear you want to share with the people you choose, not the ones Facebook chooses for you.

Today’s reported all-hands meeting at Facebook means we’ve got their attention. Let’s keep the pressure on until Facebook adopts policies that respect the privacy of its users.

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
ACLU

P.S. Visit Demand Your dotRights for tips on how to navigate the recent Facebook changes.

© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004

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Full post as published by Social Media Law Student on May 13, 2010 (boomark / email).