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NY Senator Schumer Asks FTC to Issue Privacy Guidelines for SNS

Senator Charles E. Schumer Photo courtesy http://www.schumer.senate.gov/

Know How to Manage Your Privacy Settings

On Sunday U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D), New York, asked the Federal Trade Commission to issue guidelines about how social networking sites can use and distribute information submitted by online users (WABC TV, New York).

Much of the hubbub can be attributed to the adjustments Facebook recently made to its privacy policies–including a feature called "Instant Personalization." Instant Personalization allows Facebook partner sites (Docs.com, Pandora and Yelp) to use your public Facebook information to personalize your experience on these Web sites. Facebook claims the new features are "designed to enhance personalization and promote social activity across the Web" (Hillicon Valley).

However, if you don’t like the Instant Personalization feature, you must opt out in your Facebook account settings.
Senator Schumer said social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter should first give us the choice to opt in, and that the "opt out procedure is confusing, unclear, and you might even say hidden" (WABC TV, New York).

If you want to disable Instant Personalization on your Facebook account, here’s how to do it:

  • In the top right corner of your Facebook page, click on "Account" and then "Privacy Settings." Facebook Account
  • On the Privacy Settings page, click on "Applications and Websites." 

Facebook Applications and Websites

  • At the bottom of the Privacy Settings – Applications and Websites page, click on the "Edit Setting" button to the far right of Instant Personalization.

Facebook Edit Setting

  • At the bottom of the Applications and Websites page, click on the box at the bottom of the page to disable Instant Personalization. You will then be asked, "Are you sure?" Click "Confirm." 

Facebook Instant Personalization

Do you agree with Senator Schumer? Are social networking sites like Facebook making it too difficult for us to maintain a desired level of privacy? Let us know in the comments below.

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Categories: Legal Issues, Privacy

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