Facebook has long held a notorious reputation of depriving many of their privacy rights. With each update, more and more pieces of individual lives are exposed to the cesspool that is the internet. The most recent changes bring the site down to a new low. The majority of users complain about the new system because to them, it presents a way of browsing unfamiliar to them. However, little do they realize the true shortcomings of Facebook. Privacy and user-friendliness are among the main features thrown out the window.
After the latest changes, messages in the inbox, including chat, are no longer delete-able. Simply clicking delete only hides messages, but US law enforcement agencies can now access to all your information without judicial review. Although this implementation is useful for preventing criminal activity, it borders on the violation of basic citizen rights.
In a recent TED conference, Eli Pariser exposed the underlying information exchange that goes on behind the scenes of the internet. In his presentation, Pariser discussed the programmed algorithm Facebook uses to filter content based on user activity down to every movement of the mouse. (The presentation can be found in Youtube video “Facebook and Google / Secret Revealed” with a simple search.) The entire filtration process harvests information about user interests and places them in the hands of governments and corporations at their own disposal.
The new twitter-esque Minifeed in the upper right-hand corner of the page is meant to provide instantaneous access to friend updates, but instead advances the shift towards the dark side – a new level of transparency. The more interactive features Facebook implements, the slower the browsing experience becomes. In the near future, Facebook plans to add a music base and a wider variety of apps, which will merely add to the clutter. At f8, the recent conference of various developers, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Timeline, a new interactive profile system. Timeline intends to amplify users’ browsing experience with a quilt and tile design, including larger pictures and boxes for apps. Other than obvious difficult navigation and unnecessary space usage, Timeline ultimately transforms Facebook into a public biography of everyone’s life story. To the average friendly Facebook stalker, this is a major upgrade, but considering the range of people who scan through profiles, this leads to a horrifying conclusion – the obliteration of privacy.
Little can be done to cope with Facebook’s downfalls. Because the site dominates the market of social networking, users will continue using it no matter how far down the drain it goes. The best advice is simply – think before you post.
