Introducing the Social Network User’s Bill of Rights

Comment

Comment by Joe Winn on June 24, 2010 at 10:03am

Thanks for posting this, Lauren. IMO, this right is the most momentous in the Social Network privacy debate:

7. Control: Let me control my data, and don’t facilitate sharing it unless I agree first

Facebook would have been wise to initially enable more secured settings, before encouraging users to adjust their privacy settings to be more liberal with their personal information. By nature, people want to share information about themselves. It's our inherent desire for social approval that prompted the rise of social networks in the first place. Once people feel violated by a powerful entity, however, the natural reaction is to secure the doors and windows.

At first, I had this same reaction. Then, I gave it some consideration and ultimately arrived at this conclusion: just don't post anything embarrassing, offensive or incriminating. What do I care if Facebook, Google and a billion anonymous people know that I like watching Madmen, listening to Radiohead, and rooting for the Iowa Hawkeyes?