Facebook bows to user pressure with privacy control shake-up... BUT falls short of EU demands. Facebook has completely redesigned its privacy settings, founder Mark Zuckerberg announced today.
The overhaul was in response to a massive backlash against how the social network had handled the personal information of its 400million users.
However, the 26-year-old CEO has stopped short of introducing an 'opt-in' rather than 'opt-out' system for sharing certain personal information, which European authorities called for this month.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the social network site's new privacy settings were 'drastically simplified'
In a press conference held at company headquarters in California, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook's privacy system had become too confusing for members.
'It has become hard for people to effectively control their information,' he admitted.
'Unless you feel in control, then you won't be comfortable sharing and our service will be less useful for you. We agree we need to improve this.'
Murder victim: Ashleigh Hall met her killer on Facebook
There are some 23 million Facebook users in the UK, with the highest number aged between 20 and 29 years old.
But more than two million people aged over 50 also use the site.
Critics have complained users' privacy is being dangerously breached, even putting people's lives at risk.
In March, Peter Chapman, a convicted sex offender, was jailed for 35 years on Teeside for raping and murdering 17-year- old Ashleigh Hall after meeting her on Facebook and duping her into meeting him.
And yesterday, a 15-year-old boy who fatally stabbed a former friend over a 'loss of face' after they traded insults on Facebook was found guilty of murder and is facing a life sentence.
The teenager knifed 18-year-old Salum Kombo in East London last December for the 'pathetic' reason that he had called him a 'pussy', the Old Bailey was told.
Trust nobody: How the Mail reported Ashleigh's story last October
Facebook has come under fire in recent months from security experts and members alike, after making it it more difficult for users to keep their personal details private.
In response, Mr Zuckerberg said Facebook had 'drastically simplified' the system in response and that these changes would be rolled out across the network in the coming weeks.
From tomorrow tens of thousands of the UK's 23million Facebook users will see a banner at the top of the homepage that will introduce a raft of changes.
They concentrate on three key areas: a single control for content, more powerful controls for sharing basic information and an easier way of stopping your information being shared with third party applications.
Privacy controls will now be displayed in a simple grid that will appear on a single page. Mr Zuckerberg said Facebookers could choose to share with friends, friends of friends or everyone 'all just with one click.'
He added that it will now be easier for people to turn off platform applications and the 'Instant Personalisation Pilot Program', so that none of your information is shared with applications or third parties.
However, Mr Zuckerberg refused to recognise calls from European and Australian authorities who wanted far stricter controls with a full 'opt-in' system that wouldn't make any use of a member's information without clear consent.
'Users haven't told us that is what they want,' Mr Zuckerberg said, referring to introducing far stricter privacy controls.
'They want to share their information with their friends, that's what Facebook is all about.'
The new privacy controls are now all on a single page
Facebook has introduced a number of stronger security features. The company now allows you to restrict the information visible to everyone. Although your name and profile picture will still appear, you can stop strangers from seeing your list of friends.
Also the privacy settings you create under the new system will be rolled out with any new products. So should you decide you want 'Friends only' for sharing on Facebook, new products will automatically be given the same setting.
'We are trying to balance trying to innovate with being sensitive to these issues,' Mr Zuckerberg told the conference.
Mr Zuckerberg in front of an image of the first version of the site. He said the privacy settings had become over-complicated as the website evolved
The company hopes the alterations will stop a mass protest on May 31, with hoards of members threatening to quit the network on the same day.
Simon Davies, the director of the global advocacy group, Privacy International, said: 'These measures go a small distance towards solving Facebook's overall privacy problem.
'The biggest challenges are yet to come though. The first of these is that the vast majority of people don't use privacy settings.'
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