After opening up the “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR)” portion of their terms of service to comments, Facebook has instituted some changes in an effort to address various privacy concerns. Naturally, The Joy of Tech had the entire Facebook/privacy back-and-forth nailed back in 2008:
As indicated, user feedback resulted in Facebook’s SRR alterations, something they openly acknowledged:
Based on your feedback during the recent comment period for our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR), we have decided to revise some proposed changes and further explain many others. We are also re-opening our comment period. Please review the new proposed updates under the “Documents” tab of the Facebook Site Governance Page and leave any comments by 5:00 PM PDT on April 27, 2012.
There are a couple of documents addressing these changes, including a Facebook post and a PDF of the SRR in its present state. It’s an important read if you’re concerned about what Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities says, and you want it word-for-word writing. The Facebook post, on the other hand, focuses on the user feedback. An example:
Q: I don’t want my friends sharing my information with apps. Do I have any control over what they share?
A: Absolutely. First, keep in mind that your friends can only see your information (such as your birthday) in apps if they can already see that information on Facebook. Any information that you have chosen not to share with your friends will not be seen in the app they use.
If you do not want your friends to bring pieces of your information over to the apps they use, you can set granular controls under “Apps and Websites” from your Privacy Settings page on Facebook. There, you can control most of the information friends can share about you and even block individual apps. You also can turn off Platform all together, which stops others from sharing any of your information with apps. This is all explained in our Data Use Policy.
The update also addresses mobile device use, which, from the PDF, says:
1. We currently provide our mobile services for free, but please be aware that your carrier’s normal rates and fees, such as text messaging fees, will still apply.
2. In the event you change or deactivate your mobile telephone number, you will update your account information on Facebook within 48 hours to ensure that your messages are not sent to the person who acquires your old number.
3. You provide consent and all rights necessary to enable users to sync (including through an application) their devices
contact listswith anybasicinformationand contact informationthat is visible to them on Facebook, as well as your name and profile picture.
The strikeouts in the blockquote are as they appear in Facebook’s PDF. Obviously, this indicates the portion that has been clarified.
Again, it is recommended that you read the PDF if you have any questions about any of the alterations. Furthermore, Facebook’s comments section concerning these changes is still active and will be that way until April 27.