Why the Facebook Privacy Bait & Switch Doesn’t Matter

In his post entitled “Privacy and the Treacherous Middle Ground”, Fred Wilson describes how web companies have to choose between to opposites. Complete privacy or complete openness.

I think Fred is right. Facebook isn’t doing anything morally wrong by allowing your photos statuses and wall posts to be public or available to advertisers. The issue arises because users don’t know what is private and what is isn’t. Two years ago, everything on Facebook was private, tied to either your city or university. Now most of it is open by default.

People are used to using Facebook in a private manner, which made the bate and switch all the more devious; the behaviors didn’t change but the consequences did. 

Ultimately, it boils down to personal responsibility to your identity online. Facebook isn’t the evil conglomerate trying to expose your secrets and get you fired when that burn on your boss goes public. They are a business that provides incredible user utility and needs to generate revenues

It always surprises me to see what people post online. Pictures, tweets, blog posts. I shudder to think of what a future political candidates will be up against when they run in 2025, when all of their “friends” on Facebook have access to every party picture and rant from college.

Did you ever think that a years down the road, you won’t be the only one doing vanity searches of your name online? Your kids will too.

Digital Natives are the first generation that will have their resume written for them. The web is the ultimate meritocracy.

I think its’ time we started acting like that.

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