The Social Protocol For 5/26/10: Okay Wastebook, Let's See What Privacy You Got

So far:

Zuckerberg: Before we get into the changes we get into the changes we’re doing today. i want to go through how we got to where we are now. I think it’s really easy to lose track of the fact that the service we have today is different from what we had in 2004.

Over the last year, one of the big things we looked at was News Feed. In December added per-post privacy. Another thing is applications. We started with simple model for privacy around applications – it was “Allow” or cancel. We saw over time a lot of apps just used basic information about you. Most things didn’t use friends’ photos. We felt this model wasn’t granular enough.

With how these screen shots are looking......

....There appears to be some improvement, but the full proof still needs to be provided.

The ACLU of California is giving there thumbs up actually:

After months of privacy-failing moves, Facebook is finally friending privacy again. Facebook’s about-face on privacy comes as a result of mounting pressure from users and Washington, including ACLU petitions signed by more than 80,000 people demanding that Facebook live up to its principle of user control.

While it’s true that users have more control than they did yesterday, there are still important steps that must be taken. We hope that Facebook will learn from this recent round of privacy problems and going forward, will keeps its principles and not just its pocketbook in mind.

And so does the CDT:

“Facebook’s users have spoken and made it clear that they want control of their information. Despite all rumors to the contrary, privacy is not dead, it is on its way to a comeback in the form of simplified controls and better policies,” said CDT President Leslie Harris. “While more work still needs to be done, these changes are the building blocks for giving people what they want and deserve.”