Privacy Poll: Over Half of Facebook Users Primed to Quit
Privacy Poll: Over Half of Facebook Users Primed to Quit
Posted 05/24/2010 at 5:32am
| by Paul Lilly
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All the recent hoopla surrounding Facebook's privacy policies has users of the social networking service more than a little nervous. So much so, in fact, that some 60 percent of Facebook users are ready to walk away and find a new virtual stomping ground, suggests a new poll by Internet security firm Sophos.
Out of the 1,588 Facebook users that were polled, 30 percent said that they were "highly likely" to quit over privacy concerns, while another 30 percent said they "possibly" would. Combined with the 16 percent who indicated they already have moved on, that's more than three-fourths who have either already walked away or are considering doing so.
"What this poll shows is that the majority of the people we polled are fed up with the lack of control that Facebook gives them over their own data," Sophos wrote in a blog post. "Most still don't know how to set their Facebook privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing. What's needed is a fundamental shift towards asking users to 'opt-in' to sharing information, rather than to 'opt-out'."
Sophos also said that mass exodus from Facebook seems unlikely, but did note that "delete Facebook account" has become an increasingly hot search term on Google.
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zippzom
May 25, 2010 at 3:12am
The problem I have with the survey is the sample size. 1588 out of 300 - 400 million is nowhere near enough. In reality, I doubt most facebook users even know about the privacy debates, and if they did, they might not even care.
lathao
May 24, 2010 at 11:11pm
Evolution and survival of the fittest definitely apply in the virtual world as well. Though the privacy settings are adaptable, the "opt-in" default of Facebook's privacy settings have become a limb that must be severed to maintain the users' confidence and trust.
nightkiller
May 24, 2010 at 6:45pm
Anyone who believes that personal information held by any third party in digital form is truly private is dreaming in technicolor. The answer of moving to another provider is only delaying the inevitable.
You choose a flightless bird as a mascot and wonder why it doesn't take off?
nsvander
May 24, 2010 at 4:24pm
How can you guys continue to report such dribble!!! Look at the sample size, 1588 users of facebook! Last time I looked facebook had over 400 million users! The sample size is not even 1%, hell its not even 1/2 of 1%. Please check your facts, and make sure the sites you are reporting from, include a decent representation of the sample size they are trying to reflect!
i7_DOMINATION
May 24, 2010 at 1:40pm
I got sick and tired of all the stupid privacy setting changes that facebook keeps making. The straw that broke the camel's back was the goddamn third party integration shit they started a couple of weeks ago.
I have permanently deleted (not deactivated) my facebook account and so should you, by visiting this special site: https://ssl.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account
In 2005, facebook was a website to chat with your friends and meet people you used to go to school with. Now, it's become an advertising platform that doesn't give a fuck about our privacy.
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FIX THE GODDAMN SPAM FILTER!! IT'S WORSE THAN FUCKING OUTLOOK.
popstop785
May 24, 2010 at 9:36am
Agreed. I have had to "opt out" things at least 2 or 3 times. It's fine if they add a new feature, but don't push it on me. Tell me about it, advertise it to me even, just don't sign me up without my even knowing the feature exists.
But then again, I never upload anything very personal on social sites anyways, I don't trust people enough.
I would make a guess and say most people like options and choices, not to be forced into things. At least that is how I am.
thesmilies
May 24, 2010 at 6:58am
What is so hard about changing the default security controls?
Its not rocket science
mls067
May 24, 2010 at 8:55am
The problem is, every time they change one thing, it resets all the privacy features. I have to change mine, it seems, once a week. That's crap as far as I am concerned.
It's about time to force Facebook to stop taking such a weak stance on privacy. The only way to do that is for a large amount of people to migrate somewhere else. My take? Facebook will probably fall like Myspace did (or is doing), unless they change and change fast.
IFLATLINEI
May 24, 2010 at 2:37pm
Facebook will fail. Maybe not soon but soon enough. Its social networking for crying out loud. The majority of the people who use Facebook have used Myspace and probably atleast one more in the past. What this means is that when the next one comes out with some new hook all these people will move there. But how many are actually going to quit? You mention poll results but those mean nothing. People are lazy and become addicted to something familiar. I doubt very many at all will outright quit until an alternative less "Evil" Social Networking site hits the scene.
violian
May 24, 2010 at 9:44am
Yep, happened to me. I originally had my birthday set to private - so that nobody can know when my B-day is. Then all of a sudden, on my birthday, I received tons of wall-posts from friends wishing me a happy B-day. I'm like - "how did everyone remmeber it was my B-day?" Well, apparently, there was an update on the privacy settings, and all my settings had defaulted to "show" after the update - for which I didn't know about.
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