Waugh reports: "Facebook has sent all its users an email this week about a vote on its proposed changes to Data Use Policy - the site's term for its privacy policy."
File photo Facebook logo-computer screen montage, 06/15/09. (photo: Google/file)
Facebook's Privacy Vote: What the Email Actually Means
07 December 12
acebook has sent all its users an email this week about a vote on its proposed changes to Data Use Policy - the site's term for its privacy policy.
The dry, quietly worded email is more significant than it sounds.
Unless 300 million people (a third of Facebook's users) vote ‘against' by Monday 8pm GMT, the networking giant will no longer allow users to vote on policy changes.
The move has caused concern among privacy groups, who say it's "impossible" for 300 million to vote in the time period, and that users are worried that their "voices will no longer be heard".
So far, the vote stands at less than half a million, but is around six to one against the new Statement of Rights and Data Usage Policy.
The wording of the vote itself is not a simple 'Yes' or 'No' – to vote against, users have to select, ‘Existing Documents: The current SRR and Data Use Policy,' as opposed to ‘Proposed Documents: The proposed SRR and Data Use Policy'
The voting page is here.
Privacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation's Activism Director Rainey Reitman says, "The voting system currently in place doesn't work; it is simply impossible to get 30% of the users (300 million individuals) to vote on anything on Facebook within 30 days."
"The overwhelming majority of users participating in the vote right now are voting against removing the voting system."
"We believe this shows that Facebook users are concerned that their voices will not be heard, and do not want to lose the ability have a say in site governance. While the vote may never end up binding Facebook, voters are sending a message about a serious concern, and one we hope Facebook respects and responds to."
Facebook claims that the change is to streamline 'voting' in favour of a system that allows "meaningful feedback".
Elliot Schrage, Vice-President of Communications said, "We're proposing to end the voting component of the process in favor of a system that leads to more meaningful feedback and engagement."
The site says, "Voting will end on December 10 at 8:00PM. If more than 30% of all active registered users vote, the results will be binding. If turnout is less than 30%, the vote will be advisory."
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Comments
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
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Facebook does have competition. If it is unable to deal with abusive users, I expect it will not be long before the well-behaved folks, who are the vast majority of users and the chief source of its revenue, will go elsewhere.
It's happened before....it will happen again.
:)
Ditto !!
Remember if you are not paying for a service, you are not the customer. You are the product. Who are they selling your data to? There is no way to know...every corporation, probably intelligence agencies. Why give away all this info. I don't like it one bit.
We are up in arma about the govt spying on us without a warrant and then we go ahead and let them have access to e erything. It is nuts.
On the other hand, people should take some responsibility for what they share in FB. Showing nude pictures of yourself online is stupid at best unless you're a hooker looking for clients. Anybody who doesn't realize the risk involved is unbelievably stupid. Especially if the person you're sharing with is only a virtual friend, but that's not the key point. I think if people imagined lots of strangers seeing their nude pictures or videos, they might wake up and stop posting them. I, for one, rarely post even ordinary pictures that include friends precisely because I don't want to invade their privacy. I would never DREAM of posting anything risque about myself or anyone I know.
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