Facebook changes its tune regarding Terms of Use
Well, apparently there was enough stink made about the “eternal license” for user content in Facebook’s Terms of Use that they have decided to return to the previous version.
“Over the past couple of days, we have received a lot of questions and comments about these updated terms and what they mean for people and their information,” read the statement, which Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg expanded upon in a blog post. “Because of the feedback we received, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised.”
I believe this is a smart move by Facebook execs, because I’m sure alot of users were thinking about ditching the service. (I know I was.) The way the Terms were worded seemed to be a major breach in privacy rights afforded the user. This is a controversial area, relatively still uncharted territories, and as such needs to be approached pragmatically and with the foremost concern for rights to privacy.
[Zuckerberg] added that the company would work on a “substantial revision” of the terms and give Facebook users a role in crafting it by voicing their opinions through a group on its Web site, “Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.”
I like the idea of a “Facebook Bill of Rights” - it will go a long way in defining how social media networking sites approach user content. User content should be treated with the utmost respect; however, it is the user’s ultimate responsibility to protect his or her own privacy. Users should not put anything on a social networking site that they don’t want the general public having knowledge of.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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