by Paula Jacobs

Created on: September 21, 2010   Last Updated: September 22, 2010

Facebook privacy concerns have been an issue for many years. There were accusations that any information a user put on the website was able to be viewed on the Internet.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook say that we are all living the transparent age where most people realize that their privacy does not exist. Most business use the information from users and customers to increase their bottom line. It seems that Facebook is gathering and making information available, just because.

The blatant disregard of user privacy has led to a lot serious issues for Facebook and the millions of people who login everyday. The newest privacy issues are related to Facebook Places. This new app is how Facebook members 'check in' when they are going about their day or evening.

Even though Facebook Places has been operating for less than 60 days, there are already reports of privacy concerns. It seems that people are giving too much information about who they are, where they are and what they do, everyday. This information can easily put a person at risk and it can definitely be a way to invite trouble into your life.

To understand exactly how unwise it is to put personal information on a public website, the words of Zuckerberg explain it all. He admitted that he said users of Facebook are 'dumb' for putting their life on the website - for him and the world to see.

Facebook lost the trust of the public when they changed the privacy settings to automatically reveal as much about each person as possible. This means that all of information is available to the public and with Facebook locations, this is putting an actual location on all of the already gathered information. A criminal can take this information and use it to their advantage.

One reason some people are not thrilled about Facebook Places is the ability for a user to check-in for someone else, without their permission. The privacy settings can be changed to fix this, but if you do not fix it, any friend can post the location of another friend.  Unlike Foursquare, which allows users to check in, by proof of a global positioning system, Facebook Places seem to have bypassed this important feature.

Facebook Places is Zuckerbergs version of Foursquare, a smartphone, GPS enabled app that allow users to check-in, where ever they are. Users can see where their friends are, as well as look for and discover new places, by looking through the profile of their friend.

To help keep users safe, Facebook has implemented several features, meant to be used as safeguards.

• Check-ins are only visible to friends, unless changed by the user.

• Settings can be customized to restrict information to friends or to allow everyone to see the check-in information.

• Only 'friends' can be tagged.

• Embarrassing location check-ins can be kept to a minimum. The only way a friend can check-in for another friend at what is considered an 'embarrassing location', the friend must check in first.

• Don't want to be tagged? Opt out.

• Tags can easily be removed.

Even with all of the features, third party apps can still read private information, when friends login to Facebook Places. Settings can be changed.

With Facebook Places, Facebook not only know who you are, they also know where you are and they don't really mind if the world find out this privileged information.

References;

1] Blog.Facebook.com

2] Facebook.com/Places

3] Mashable.com/2010/08/19/facebook-places-guide

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