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Changing Your Facebook Privacy Settings – You Are Sharing More Than You Think!
Changing Your Facebook Privacy Settings – You Are Sharing More Than You Think!
On April 21st of this year, Facebook announced new platform settings. Some of them are good, and some aren’t so good. Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the new Open Graph protocol. The Open Graph protocol gives any web page the same functionality of a Facebook page. This technology allows the web to determine meaningful connections between people and real-life things. If you click on a website that is using the new Facebook Open Graph protocol, you are sharing a great deal of information with them, including activities, interests, photos and relationship status. Your information can be stored on their website and can be used for just about anything for an unlimited period of time.
What does this mean for attorneys? Many law firm Facebook pages are a loose combination of personal and professional pages.
Some of the current Facebook privacy drawbacks include:
• If your political designation is viewable, it could lead to a prospective client going elsewhere;
• As many law school graduates are finding out, your potential employer is looking you up on Facebook and other social sites;
• Jury members can look at your page and the firm’s, as well as, other attorneys in the firm;
• Opposing counsel has that same opportunity to check out your profile.
Before, Friends of Friends of Friends have been able to look you up and find out whatever you have decided to share with everyone. Now web pages using the Open Graph protocol have that same accessibility.
Here is how you can keep your personal Facebook information personal or “opt out”:
1. Log on to Facebook. Go to Account, and then Privacy Settings, and then Applications and websites.
2. Select Instant Personalization Pilot Program. Click Edit Setting. This takes you to a new page. If you wish to “opt out”, uncheck the box at the bottom of the page “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites”.
3. Return to Privacy Settings, Applications and then to the section “What Your Friends Share About You”. Click on Edit Settings. You will need to uncheck every box – all 16 boxes. Click on Save Changes!
Your private information is now less accessible. As with all information you share on the internet, think before you post!
On April 21st of this year, Facebook announced new platform settings. Some of them are good, and some aren’t so good. Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the new Open Graph protocol. The Open Graph protocol gives any web page the same functionality of a Facebook page. This technology allows the web to determine meaningful connections between people and real-life things. If you click on a website that is using the new Facebook Open Graph protocol, you are sharing a great deal of information with them, including activities, interests, photos and relationship status. Your information can be stored on their website and can be used for just about anything for an unlimited period of time.
What does this mean for attorneys? Many law firm Facebook pages are a loose combination of personal and professional pages.
Some of the current Facebook privacy drawbacks include:
• If your political designation is viewable, it could lead to a prospective client going elsewhere;
• As many law school graduates are finding out, your potential employer is looking you up on Facebook and other social sites;
• Jury members can look at your page and the firm’s, as well as, other attorneys in the firm;
• Opposing counsel has that same opportunity to check out your profile.
Before, Friends of Friends of Friends have been able to look you up and find out whatever you have decided to share with everyone. Now web pages using the Open Graph protocol have that same accessibility.
Here is how you can keep your personal Facebook information personal or “opt out”:
1. Log on to Facebook. Go to Account, and then Privacy Settings, and then Applications and websites.
2. Select Instant Personalization Pilot Program. Click Edit Setting. This takes you to a new page. If you wish to “opt out”, uncheck the box at the bottom of the page “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites”.
3. Return to Privacy Settings, Applications and then to the section “What Your Friends Share About You”. Click on Edit Settings. You will need to uncheck every box – all 16 boxes. Click on Save Changes!
Your private information is now less accessible. As with all information you share on the internet, think before you post!
