Losing a few people won’t hurt Facebook, which has more than 400 million registered members, most of them oblivious to the debate over privacy. In fact, I suspect Facebook will end up being to this decade what Microsoft was to the 1990s—an ever-more-powerful company with tentacles that reach into everything. I also suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning. Which is why I’m considering deactivating my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m freaked by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t trust. That is too high a price to pay.
Lyons, on Facebook (via newsweek)
I don’t quite understand the logic behind deactivating one’s Facebook account to be “safe” from privacy invasion.
First, it’s impossible to delete a Facebook account, so whatever information is already on Facebook’s servers will remain there.
Second, as a Facebook user, you decide what information you’d like to share, regardless of privacy options, period. If you don’t want Facebook to learn about you, don’t actively contribute content. Facebook’s not forcing you to update your wall every hour.
Ultimately, Facebook is still a great tool for keeping in touch and it often fills the same role LinkedIn does for network building. Like any service on the Internet, you should only publish content you feel comfortable sharing with anyone; any service, regardless of privacy policies, can be compromised.
