Facebook Backs Down On Privacy Terms

(CNET)  Facing a federal complaint from a leading privacy advocacy organization and a revolt of tens of thousands of its users, Facebook on Tuesday night backed down from what many have seen as an onerous privacy policy.

The policy had seemed to grant Facebook perpetual rights to users' uploaded content, and the threatened complaint from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) had demanded, essentially, that the social-networking service return to its previous terms.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a blog post late Tuesday that the company had decided to do just that:

"Many of us at Facebook spent most of today discussing how best to move forward. One approach would have been to quickly amend the new terms with new language to clarify our positions further. Another approach was simply to revert to our old terms while we begin working on our next version. As we thought through this, we reached out to respected organizations to get their input.

"Going forward, we've decided to take a new approach towards developing our terms. We concluded that returning to our previous terms was the right thing for now. As I said yesterday, we think that a lot of the language in our terms is overly formal and protective so we don't plan to leave it there for long."

Zuckerberg also said that the company would be adopting a new set of terms that would more carefully take users' rights into consideration:

"More than 175 million people use Facebook. If it were a country, it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. Our terms aren't just a document that protect our rights; it's the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. Given its importance, we need to make sure the terms reflect the principles and values of the people using the service.

"Our next version will be a substantial revision from where we are now. It will reflect the principles I described yesterday around how people share and control their information, and it will be written clearly in language everyone can understand. Since this will be the governing document that we'll all live by, Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting these terms."

The move came after Facebook had, earlier in the day, polled its users as to whether it should revert to its previous terms. And in his blog, Zuckerberg said that the company would be asking users to get involved in crafting the next set of terms:

"If you'd like to get involved in crafting our new terms," Zuckerberg wrote, "you can start posting your questions, comments and requests in the group we've created - Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. I'm looking forward to reading your input."

Certainly, we'll have more on this as it develops.

But in the meantime, as blogger Leo Laporte put it on Twitter this evening, "Put down the pitchforks and call off the rabble."
By Daniel Terdiman

[billpl-2009]

Facebook''s worth billions

yet hasn''t figured how to make a dime.

...something wrong here???

lol

[hologram5]

Reflect on the TOS, if people don''t like it, you will be out of business. We have enough rights infringements from the fed gov, we don''t need them from you.

[issboy999]

facebook is the answer to all *** demoms. f**k bittch ***

[MacTrek777]

Many folk are tending to view this from only one side and not considering Facebook may have been attempting to do something that was good but went about it in the wrong way. That''s one of the big problems with the internet as a whole. Communication is so fast it doesn''t lend itself to thoughtful reflection. So everyone take a deep breath and remember who founded Facebook and why they did it. I''m not saying they''re perfect but I do believe this place was founded to help people, business''s, clubs, and other organizations to keep in touch and promote a community based on shared goals and aspirations. I use it a lot now that I''m undergoing Chemotherapy to keep my friends, family, coworkers. and church updated on my condition and to share with their joys and troubles. Without us their is no Facebook so why not give them the benefit of the doubt. If you''re truly concerned have you tried letting them know your concern in an email, phone call, or a good old fashioned letter? President Obama was elected because he took the higher road of hope and change. I think we the many members of Facebook should put down the torches, open our hearts and minds, and above all look at this thing with hope that change can happen. It''s up to all of us so let''s start anew unless you enjoy hopelessness and pessimism. I sure don''t and I refuse to believe this is all we are capable of.

[lochlan-2009]

What Facebook tried to get away with here is a sign of things to come.



Posted by bpai99



If you only knew.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=43667

"Massachusetts May Consider A Mileage Charge for Motorists
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
By Glen Johnson, Associated Press


Boston (AP) - A tentative plan to overhaul Massachusetts'' transportation system by using GPS chips to charge motorists a quarter-cent for every mile behind the wheel has angered some drivers."



America is on the brink, and everyone looks like a deer caught in the headlights.

[bobnjersey]

[You have no privacy... get used to it.. ]
[Posted by Evian_Ycnan at 09:53 AM : Feb 18, 2009]

this is only good advice if you''re ok w/ the current state of it all.

otherwise ... b!tch like h3ll about it until it changes.

the fact that businesses can store, broker, trade, and sell your personal information is a perfect example of how the laws in this country are not created to serve ''you'' ... but rather serve the corporation ... the industry ... that profits dearly from using this info.

the info should be yours ... and only available to these companies if they pay you for it ... which is exactly what all these companies are doing with it ... selling it to others!

[bpai99]

What Facebook tried to get away with here is a sign of things to come.

[welshwoman-2009]

People are just trashy these days and desperate for attention. I pity many of them for not feeling happy and secure.

[lochlan-2009]

What a bunch of bull. Geeks around the world are plannning a black out on facebook, twitter. It''s all starting in New Zealand and their blatant assault on citizens using copyright laws. But who am I talking to here, anyway? A bunch of uninformed knits.

[morbidcherub]

If people would use some discretion when they post things to sites like Facebook, they wouldn''t be so worried about what happens to the data. Anyone with a brain knows that once you post something on the internet, it is pretty much there forever in some way, shape, or form. Use your common sense.