Facebook Privacy Settings and why 25% of us don't use them

Facebook privacy settings... do you use them? Do you understand them? And what exactly can they be used for? It has been recorded that approximately 25% of Facebook users don't bother with its privacy settings at all. Now, is this through ignorance or is it a personal choice? When we live in such a time where outwardly we are very open, how can you keep certain details private, and why is it important to do so?

 

Image: http://rack.3.mshcdn.com

Facebook, it can be said, are seen as a respectable company on a worldwide scale. They have dominated the social media market and seem to keep up to date with the correct protocol. In short, we trust them. Arguably, a little too much. With 25% of its users not even using their Privacy Controls, it begs the question, are we too trusting online?
We use the site for fun, for interaction and communication, with our friends, family and the pages we 'like'. So when a privacy update pops up it does look like rather boring small print that we generally put off until later. But when is later? And by ignoring this, what are we leaving ourselves open to?

When first signing up to the site there are many options of what you choose, information wise, for the public to see. You would think by making your preference clear at the start it would continue throughout the whole time your signed up. I personally have found, this is not the case. When casually browsing through my settings I found a few times that the options have changed and mine have reverted to a default answer, here I feel I am probably a little to blame...after neglecting quite a few alerts telling me it had changed.

Since Facebook introduced advertising I, along with many, noticed how many adverts were popping up related to recent searches I had done online through other sites. This does seem a little spooky at first but also it is commendable, the site is engineering its ads to suit what you are looking for. Clever marketing skills and I'm sure Facebook are keeping its advertising counterparts very happy with this strategy.

We also every so often get people posting rather aggressive looking statuses banishing Facebook from using any of their personal pictures or content. Does this hold any weight to online security? From research, it seems, that it does not, and how would we know if they were abiding by our declarations anyway? There could always be a tiny loophole in their small print advising if you use their site then your information is open to anyone who wants it...but who wants to read the small print anyway?

Image: http://allfacebook.com

There are some pretty helpful sites out there for people who find the privacy pages a little overwhelming. I personally check my privacy settings as regularly as I can, to make sure they are how I want them. I also double check by searching myself online, when not logged in, although this may seem a little paranoid..but I do just want to make sure that my options are followed up.

Online fraud is an industry of its own and behind the fun side of Facebook there is a serious threat of it on there. We have so much information about ourselves, we may think its harmless but it is amazing how far fraudsters can go with just an email address, postcode, date of birth and name. Also, people posting passport photos etc, these can be easily duplicated. I know it sounds a little fantastical but there really is a danger out there.

People are not only using your information to sell on to companies - cue PPI phone calls and thousands of spam emails - but also using photos to create fake profiles etc. Facebook are not completely to blame for all the scenarios that can happen when we put our info onto their site, but I would say a more user friendly privacy page wouldn't go amiss.

Bottom line; read and be aware of what you are signing up to, take responsibility for your own information and then if it does get out - you can point the finger. In the meantime, be very careful what you upload absentmindedly and check your settings as much as possible. The 25% of people not using the privacy settings are making themselves vulnerable online so if you know someone who is on Facebook and not so au fait with it, help them out. A safe, online experience is there to be used, so use it!

How do you feel about Facebook's privacy policy?

Facebook Preparing for the Introduction of Video Ads

Facebook recently announced that it will be testing videos that play automatically on the homepage, a pre-cursor to the company introducing video ads to its site in the upcoming months. Some users will now see videos come to life and start playing automatically in the News Feed. These videos will initially play silently, and if you want you can then tap the video to play with sound in full screen mode. If you choose not to watch the video you will be able to scroll past it and it will stop.

This new video feature suggests that Facebook is moving towards more video orientated ads on the site. The announcement on the Facebook newsroom commented that “at first, this feature will be limited to videos posted by individuals, musicians, and bands. We’re doing this to make sure we create the best possible experience. Over time, we’ll continue to explore how to bring this to marketers in the future”.

The test currently only involves a small group of U.S. users, but it is expected to roll out to other users on the site soon. When it does, and when it is viewed as a successful experience on the site, it will start to be used by brands and advertisers. By introducing this feature to a small test group, Facebook will be able to ensure that the technology is up to standards. Zuckerberg was concerned that the video ads should load quickly, and has spent time with his engineers developing the technology which allows the videos to load automatically.

Facebook has also debated whether to give users the option to stop the video ads from playing automatically as this could be a sensitive issue for users on mobile phones who have limited data plans. But Facebook have commented that they do not expect the auto-play videos to have a big impact on smartphone users’ wireless data usage and monthly phone bills. Internal tests which have been carried out so far do not seem to significantly reduce battery life, as users do have the option of switching off the auto-play feature and scrolling past the adverts to stop them from playing.

According to several media reports, Facebook is planning to charge brand marketers $1 million to $2.4 million in order to show these 15-second video ads on its social network. Facebook is also experimenting with the idea of giving advertisers more than 15 seconds, this would allow them to compete better with standard television ads. Facebook will allow brands to show up to three videos in “carousels,” a feature in which users will be able to swipe from right-to-left to see two more videos from the advertiser. This move signals how Facebook is joining a growing movement of media and Internet companies who are trying to get money that the advertisers currently spend on television by persuading them to switch their media form. A research firm, eMarketer, suggests that the amount spent on online video is expected to grow by more than 40% this year.

The delay in the release of the feature is due to the fact that Facebook wants to keep its users happy enough to keep coming back to use the site. By introducing videos that play automatically on the site, they hope to slowly pave the way for video advertisements to be featured on the site.

What do you think?

How will the introduction of automatically playing videos change the way that we use Facebook? How will Facebook video ads impact upon Facebook users and the way that they use the social media network?