There has been a lot of press coverage in the last several weeks about the lack of privacy on Facebook. It’s even the cover story on Time Magazine. Time used 1,295 Facebook profile pics to create a mosaic for the front cover…because showing photos of Facebook users on a national publication isn’t a privacy concern. But it is on Time, so not that many people will see it.
All of this stems from Facebook changing its privacy settings which gives people the option for non-friends to view your Facebook profile.
Note the operative word…option.
There is a very simple solution to the privacy problem, and it’s not Facebook revamping its site. This is not a “Facebook issue”; It’s a “you issue”. You are not required to post any personal data on Facebook. There is no gun to your head. You can keep your profile void of information. You can even control your own privacy settings so that only friends see your page.
This is akin to people blaming the microwave manufacture for a faulty machine because their houses burned down while they were microwaving a fork. These are the same people who need a disclaimer on a gas can that reads “Warning: Do Not Use a Match to Look In Gas Can.”
YOU control the stream of information going out. I have friends that lie about their birthdays. Some choose not to put any personal information. Don’t post that you’ll be out of town and have your address on your profile. If your mother has her maiden name on her profile, don’t point out that she’s your mother (it sounds cold…but come on).
Anytime I fill out any form on line, I give a friend’s birth date and a false address…1060 W. Addison, Chicago, IL 60657 (which if you don’t know, it’s Wrigley Field). I got that idea from the Blues Brothers. Judging by the effort the Cubs are giving this year, I’m guessing all my junk mail isn’t the only worthless things showing up at Wrigley this year (sadly).
As my old theater director used to say, “Be smarter than your shoes.” It’s not a government plot, it’s a website.
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