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  • Facebook Wants Users to Vote on Privacy Settings
Technology Articles > Social Networking > Facebook > Facebook Wants Users to Vote on Privacy Settings

Even if you don’t use Facebook and never signed up for an account, you probably know all about Facebook’s questionable privacy tactics. Throughout the past year or so, Facebook has come under a lot of fire where privacy is concerned. Now, Facebook wants to appeal to user requests (and please investors) by allowing current users to vote on future Facebook privacy settings. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in taking part in (and you should if you use the social network), here’s how to exercise your rights as a Facebook user.

Facebook Offers Two Possible Options

The Facebook privacy vote will be split into two possible options. The first one is the option to keep the current Facebook privacy settings and tactics in place. The second one will be to allow Facebook to draft a new set of privacy tactics. What’s the difference between the two? Essentially, the new Privacy policy includes a data collection clause that will allow Facebook to collect additional data about users. Under this clause, certain Facebook activities will allow the social network to collect user information (I’m guessing that those uber-popular Facebook games are, well, fair game).

The old Facebook privacy policy is what currently stands on the site. If you like the way that things are and you don’t want them to change, vote to keep things the same. If you don’t mind some new data collection clauses, go ahead and ask Facebook to generate a new privacy policy. Your vote could make a difference, but how much of a difference?

Facebook Might be Asking Too Much

In many ways, the current voting method that Facebook will ask the public to take part in is nothing more than a rouse. Facebook reps have told press that the social network will require more than 30% of user participation in order for user votes to be considered. You must be an active member of Facebook in order to vote (meaning: you must have used your Facebook account within the past month or so).

In case you’re wondering, 30% of all active Facebook users comes out to roughly 30 million people. How likely is it that this many people will vote on Facebook’s new privacy policies? Not likely at all; but Facebook still looks good for trying, right? If you believe that you can make a difference and you want to give it a shot, go ahead and visit the main Facebook site for additional information. On the site, you can read about the two privacy policies and find out what will happen if enough people vote. What will happen if 30% of the Facebook population doesn’t vote? Facebook will ask its board to vote on the privacy policy for the population, and you can bet that the policy will change in the end. If you have a Facebook account will you be voting? What policy makes more sense? Let me know in the comments – the more people who vote, the better off Facebook users will be!