Facebook privacy setting is “unacceptable”

Last year, Facebook changed the default privacy settings on its service, meaning users had to choose to opt out allowing more people to see their status updates, messages, photos and other information on their FB pages.  If users accepted the default, their personal information became more widely visible.

But Europe’s independent advisory body, Article 29 Working Party, recently wrote to the company to complain about the way the change occurred.  A statement from Article 29 said: “It is unacceptable that the company fundamentally changed the default settings on its social-networking platform to the detriment of a user.

“Facebook made the change only days after the company and other social networking sites providers participated at a hearing during the Article 29 Working Party’s plenary meeting in November 2009.”

The implications for law students and graduates looking for jobs are clear: if they are FB users and are not aware of the privacy settings, potential employers are at liberty to check FB (and similar sites) as part of their selection process - and the contents of an individual’s profile and other information could have an adverse effect.