Now here’s the thing. It’s all about choices, and having all the information needed to make these choices.  Recently, myself and many others were all  over this Facebook thing about opening up (selling ) to Google, and other search engines, your information.  So before I go off, check out this article, but also watch the video.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/10/facebooks-zuckerberg-the_n_417969.html

Now, after having watched this, here’s a few thoughts.

First, if you use the internet, then in many ways, you have established an internet presence, and therefore, some way for the search engines, spammers, whomever is looking for you, the ability to find you.  Period, end of discussion.  That’s a given.  So what’s the problem?  In a nutshell, here it is.  My problem with Mr. Zuckerberg, is that he presumes a little much, and assumes even more.  The majority of Facebook users do not understand how big a business the internet is.  They do not know the value that is placed on personal information.  To assume that we all get it, is a mistake. To presume that because people put their information on Facebook, they know that the information is now being sold, and accessed by many different types of businesses is a shame.

Now, even if people realize this is happening, and are okay with it, what type of information is being sold?  Names,  High School attended,  phone number, date of birth? Or is it more?  Try finding out, it’s not easily found on Facebook.  It should be readily available, and fully disclosed.  Just to make your life easier, if you are on your Facebook home page, click on “setting”, then “privacy” then “search”. Now here is where you should see what is given to anyone who buys the info, and what you should do to prevent that, as it is still YOUR information. In actuality, this is what you see.

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