Facebook Cares About Your Privacy…But Not Really

By: Justin McHugh

Facebook has once again changed its privacy settings.  In the battle for privacy, Facebook users are slowly yet surely losing.  Facebook has recently announced that it will be removing a privacy feature that allowed users to limit who could search for them on the social network.[1]  Specifically, Facebook will be removing a privacy setting that limited whether users could be found when other people typed their names into Facebook’s search bar.[2]  In its defense, Facebook claims that only a very small percentage of users were using the limited search setting.[3]

Additionally, what many Facebook users fail to realize is that the option that lets users block who could search for them on the social network was removed for most of them back in December 2012.[4]  The privacy setting that allowed users to block “Who can look up your timeline by name” was only still in effect for the small percentage of users who actually used the setting.[5]  However, due to a 2011 privacy settlement, Facebook is required to obtain “affirmative express consent” before it can reveal a user’s private information.[6]  Thus, users who have been using the privacy setting to avoid their name from coming up in searches will have to confirm that they understand the change before it is removed from their privacy settings.[7]  Users who were hoping to block their names from being searched by potential employers or stalkers will now have to find another way to protect their privacy.

Facebook’s removal of the ability to block one’s name from showing up in the search bar is quite ill-timed considering that the social networking site has recently been under review for potentially violating a 2011 court order relating to privacy issues.[8]  The court order stated that Facebook must gain consent from users before changing their privacy settings.[9]  However, on August 29, 2013 Facebook “stripped language that explicitly allowed users to limit how their names and profile pictures could be used for marketing.”[10]  The new policy sparked outrage from Facebook users and privacy advocates who claimed that Facebook was violating the aforementioned court order requiring more transparency in Facebook’s privacy policies.[11]    Facebook countered by asserting that its new policy made clear that all users are required to grant Facebook “permission to use their personal information in advertising as a condition of using the service.”[12]

The outrage sparked by the new privacy policy change prompted the Federal Trade Commission to start an immediate inquiry into whether the 2011 court order had been violated.[13] The court order, which called for more transparency and protection, of privacy rights for Facebook users, stemmed from the fact that Facebook had been sharing users’ data with third party advertisers after they had explicitly promised not to.[14]  Facebook and privacy advocates alike argued that the language of Facebook’s new privacy policy gave the company unlimited access and permission to use Facebook users’ personal information in advertising.[15]

If privacy advocates’ assertions are proven correct, Facebook could potentially be put in violation of the 2011 court order.  As of the writing of this article, it remains to be seen if Facebook will be found to have violated the court order by the Federal Trade Commission.  However, the one thing that is certain is that Facebook is slowly encroaching on its users’ privacy rights and selling their personal information to third party advertisers.[16]  Furthermore, in its most recent encroachment of its users’ privacy rights, Facebook has removed the ability of users’ to block their names from being searched.[17]  This latest privacy right encroachment may seem minor, but in the grand scheme of Facebook’s business model to sell personal information, it is not.  It just goes to show that once you sign up for Facebook, they own your personal information and will sell it to the highest bidder without regard for your privacy preferences.


[1] Associated Press, Facebook axes privacy feature that let users hide profiles from search,  Macleans (Oct. 10, 2013), http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/10/10/facebook-axes-privacy-feature-that-let-users-hide-profiles-from-search

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Facebook privacy: Users should check these settings as new changes roll out,, The Washington Post  (Oct. 11, 2013), http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-10-11/business/42922974_1_facebook-privacy-privacy-tools-facebook-users.

[5] Id.

[6] Steven Musil, Facebook’s proposed privacy policy changes face FTC review, Cnet (Sept. 11, 2013, 5:23 PM), http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57602536-93/facebooks-proposed-privacy-policy-changes-face-ftc-review.

[7] Josh Constine, Facebook Removing Option To Be Unsearchable By Name, Highlighting Lack Of Universal Privacy Controls, TechCrunch (Oct. 10, 2013), http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/10/facebook-search-privacy/.)

[8] Elizabeth Dwoskin, Facebook Probed on Privacy Issues, The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 12, 2013, 9:53 AM),  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324094704579069911830908636).

[9] Id.

[10] Id.

[11] Id.

[12] Vindu Goel & Edward Wyatt, Facebook Privacy Change Is Subject of F.T.C. Inquiry, The New York Times (Sept. 11, 2013), http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/technology/personaltech/ftc-looking-into-facebook-privacy-policy.html.)

[13] Id.

[14] Id.

[15] Vindu Goel & Edward Wyatt, Facebook Privacy Change Is Subject of F.T.C. Inquiry, The New York Times (Sept. 11, 2013), http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/technology/personaltech/ftc-looking-into-facebook-privacy-policy.html.)

[16] Elizabeth Dwoskin, Facebook Probed on Privacy Issues, The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 12, 2013, 9:53 AM),  http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324094704579069911830908636.

[17] Associated Press, Facebook axes privacy feature that let users hide profiles from search,  Yahoo News Canada (Oct. 11, 2013), http://ca.news.yahoo.com/facebook-axes-privacy-feature-let-users-hide-profiles-210016932–finance.html.