Facebook released a message on their blog Wednesday afternoon announcing a new way to control Facebook privacy settings…..
When Facebook introduced its privacy controls in May, it hoped to simplify the once-complex privacy settings for users looking to lock down their content. Today Facebook has made the same simplified privacy control options available to all Facebook mobile web users.Facebook members can navigate to m.facebook.com/privacy to quickly adjust their settings from their mobile device. Users can select from the default Facebook-defined options for settings — recommended, everyone, friends of friends, or friends only — or customize what they would like to share or keep private on an item-by-item basis.
“As mobile devices have become more sophisticated and widespread, we’ve noticed that people are creating content and accessing Facebook at every moment of the day, in many locations—not just from desktops.” said Michael Sharon, Facebook’s Mobile Project Manager.
The rollout of privacy control settings for mobile is currently underway, so all members will have the simplified settings options in the near future.Creating mobile parity around Facebook privacy settings is a wise move on Facebook’s part. The 500 million-member social network continues to see mobile usage grow, which means the mobile options will help more members avoid potential privacy catastrophes while on the go.
It’s a good move for Facebook to bring these privacy controls to handsets because the company knows that mobile is their future. I do think the privacy flap was a bit overblown and amplified by a vocal minority but it’s a real issue that could really hamper the company’s ambitions.What are those ambitions? It’s simple really: they want to remake the web. Instead of going to Google to find out what you want, the company wants your friends (and its advertisers) to influence your Internet experiences and decisions.
This could be incredibly powerful on the mobile side of things because the company wants to become a platform that influences other phones, apps and even app stores. We all know location-based services are coming in a big way, but the check-in model seems kind of limited and geo-fencing coupons can still be spam-like.If you implement a strong social-networking layer like Facebook, these location-based services could become more useful. If I walk by a deli which has received praise from many of my Facebook friends, a mobile coupon from there would be more useful than just a random store that senses I’m nearby and shoots me a discount.
On its blog, the company explained:
You can get to privacy controls on mobile by going to m.facebook.com/privacy or by going to the Settings page and clicking the “Change” link next to the words “Privacy Settings.” Check it out for yourself to:
* Select who can see the content you post by setting the simple control for sharing on Facebook to friends, friends of friends or everyone,
* Fully customize your granular settings, if you want, and have them take effect instantly, and
* Read through our comprehensive privacy guide, formatted for mobile devices.
Resources :mashable.com,intomobile.com,wkrg.com
