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Starting January 1, 2015, Facebook is going to update its current privacy policy. Users will have a new tool – “Privacy Basics”– that will help them take control of what they share and whom they share. On Monday, the new tool was introduced by Facebook’s Global chief privacy officer, Erin Egan, in a long e-mail sent to all Facebook users.
Privacy Basis helps users better understand who can see their updates (links, images etc) and how to do change basic account settings, such as removing name when somebody has been playing with the Tag Photo button.
Another important update from Facebook is a better control over the type of ads users are interested in. Currently, if somebody chooses what adds not to see on Facebook using his/her computer, he/she will still see them on a smartphone or tablet Facebook version. With the new versions, Facebook will remember new ad setting regardless the device its users have.
In its e-mail, Facebook announces that members will get more tips and guides on how to use their accounts and a new set of terms, data and cookies policy that will be easier to understand. Facebook will also grant members an “expanded” control over the ads they see when using sites and apps through this platform.
“We hope these updates improve your experience. Protecting people’s information and providing meaningful privacy controls are at the core of everything we do”,
Erin Egan added in the e-mail.
Privacy Basics will provide easy to understand guides on how users can control their personal data on Facebook by untagging, choosing who will see a particular post, and blocking unwanted viewers. The guides will be available in 36 languages.
Bloggers were unimpressed by Facebook’s updates. Some of them said that Facebook wasn’t changing anything in their privacy policy, but rewriting it so “humans can understand it”. Others said the privacy policy was more clear but still complicated. Under “Updating our terms and policies” section, Facebook clearly states that nothing in their privacy policy is changing with January updates.
Facebook plans some other minor updates that will improve customer experience.
Users will get to know what’s going on around them in a particular location – who are their nearby friends, what are nearby friends doing, what type of menus nearby restaurants have etc.
In the near future, Facebook users will also have a “Buy Button” to help them buy stuff without leaving Facebook. Additionally, if somebody loses their Instagram account password, they will be able to recover it using the Facebook account.
About the ads policy, Facebook clearly states that nothing would change with the updates. Facebook will continue to help advertisers reach people with relevant ads without revealing people’s identity as usual.
