Zuckerberg's Privacy Stance: Facebook CEO 'Doesn't Believe In Privacy'

Facebook has come under fire from privacy advocates, users, and now even US senators for what many believe is the site's lack of concern for protecting user privacy.

So how much does Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg care about your privacy on his social network?

Not much at all, according to a Facebook employee interviewed by the New York Times' Nick Bilton.

Bilton posted a tweet Wednesday that read:

Off record chat w/ Facebook employee. Me: How does Zuck feel about privacy? Response: [laughter] He doesn't believe in it.

The Facebook employee's claim rings true with the view on privacy Zuckerberg articulated earlier this year.

During an interview with TechCrunch, Zuckerberg revealed that he had taken an "about face" on privacy and argued that privacy was no longer a "social norm."

"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people," Zuckerberg said. "That social norm is just something that has evolved over time."

Earlier this month, Facebook unveiled a number of major changes to its site, which will more widely share user activity and profile information--with other sites, advertisers, and other parties. (See our guide to the changes and what they mean for you)

Wired suggests how users might tweak their online behavior given Zuckerberg's stance:

Zuckerberg's apparent disregard for your privacy is probably not reason enough to delete your Facebook account. But we wouldn't recommend posting anything there that you wouldn't want marketers, legal authorities, governments (or your mother) to see, especially as Facebook continues to push more and more of users' information public and even into the hands of other companies, leaving the onus on users to figure out its Rubik's Cube-esque privacy controls.

Comments

[2xSantos]

02:14 AM on 05/15/2010

I don't like Facebook, but as a journalist isn't it unethical to reveal an off-the-record conversation? Twitter may not be a newspaper, but it is still a provenance of information like any other forms of media.

[chillwind]

12:56 AM on 05/13/2010

The jig is up, even the youngsters are beginning to understand the value of privacy.

Sounds like an opportune time for developers to put together alternative platforms, a-la linnux and firefox. Ciao, Mark.

[TakePenguin]

03:50 PM on 05/06/2010

When are people going to realize that the internet is not private; despite the fact that you want it to be. If you post something that all of your friends can see its bound to get around, its called a social network for a reason. If you don't want people to know then don't post your embarrassments online.

[1Sparky]

04:46 PM on 05/04/2010

well... selling your 'private' data is a violation of TOS and when that happens I suggest you leave FB or edit your data to be 'less than accurate.'

[chillwind]

01:02 AM on 05/13/2010

"...edit your data to be 'less than accurate.'

What a fun idea. The marketing would be rendered meaningless.

[4real]

04:06 PM on 05/03/2010

If Zuckerberg let his privacy views be known when he first launched his website it probably would not be as popular as it is now.

[MisterEMartin]

10:21 AM on 05/03/2010

I am disabling almost everything, and deleting almost everything. It has gotten too invasive. It was good when it started as a facebook. Not the corporate branding of facebook, but the traditional meaning of a facebook. Just a page about you. But now with all of the connections and selling to all the 3rd party sites and everything else, its just too much. I cant delete it, because if I ever need to get in touch with any of my old friends, but that does not mean I have to use it like I used to. I wish there was a viable free networking site like facebook was when it first started. Before the selling out.

[IAmSpartacus2010]

09:33 PM on 05/02/2010

Zuckerberg is happy to monetize you. He wants to SELL YOU OUT for a bag of gold coins. He says that privacy is not the social norm ... well, as public as I am, MY PRIVACY IS MY SOCIAL NORM. He is only saying it's not the norm because it suits him and his objectives (and greed).

To you, Mr. Zuckerberg: Saying "privacy is not the norm," does not make it so. You are the "Judas goat" who is leading his "flock" to a sort of "slaughter." You are just waiting for someone to cross your palm with gold and silver and you will sell them for whatever makes you wealthy. You clearly care not one whit for the 400 million people who supposedly frequent your site. Pardon the Biblical allusion, but it suits my side of the argument.

I KNOW much can be learned about ME on the web, but who I choose to have as friends on Facebook is not to be shared commercially. That was never part of the deal. It's none of your freaking business to monetize that. Not by the rules that I signed on. Not by rules of decency and courtesy. Obviously, you don't recognize those rules.

To minimize any hypocrisy here, I will be deleting my own Facebook profile (which has damn little information about me, anyway). **** ***, Zuckerberg. I know you'll never get it. You are morally and ethically challenged.

[IAmSpartacus2010]

10:25 PM on 05/02/2010

And, since I can't edit this post, I will add that I think Mr. Zuckerberg is, ethically, only marginally above those people who broker stolen credit card numbers. Think about it.

[envirofreak0112]

08:48 PM on 05/02/2010

I think that it is rather humourous that you can post an article about how this guys hates privacy, an issue that a lot of people in the US think is important, onto facebook.

[John Sweeney Jr]

12:47 PM on 05/02/2010

To see what I have to say about Facebook & Zynga Please read my blogs.

Thanks for Listening

John Sweeney

http://facebookzynga.blogspot.com/

[DomainDiva]

08:29 AM on 05/02/2010

I wonder if he would be embarrassed if some girl he was dating made sure some really private 'things' were made public?

[7Vyse]

02:27 AM on 05/02/2010

I reactivated my account but shut off my wall and a few other things. It's basically a "White Pages" online version of me.

The strangest thing happened today though.

As some of you know, facebook makes friend "suggestions." They appear in the top, right corner. It suggests people you may know. Now, by and large, it's been spot on but many of the people it suggests go to school with me, are in the same social circles. Probably some clever algorithm, right?

Well today... it suggested a prospective student that shadowed me for less than three hours. A year ago. They only correspondence I had with this kid was via email; and only a few emails in the month that followed! And we had no mutual friends at the time.

There may be less sinister explanations. But right now, my eyebrow remains raised.

[yogandclimber]

12:32 AM on 05/02/2010

The one millionth warning about no privacy on Facebook.

[HuffingtonT123]

06:15 PM on 05/07/2010

Getting old fast for sure.

[chillwind]

01:00 AM on 05/13/2010

Apparently, it takes a million warnings for some people to understand what no privacy means. People are still losing their jobs over ill-considered remarks and less than wholesome photos.

[whychooseaside]

02:58 PM on 05/01/2010

If any of you had a facebook account, you will notice that you cannot contact the developer for any issue. Example of such issue is facebook changed the ablity to become a fan of a page/person to like the page/person.

[Cannabag]

08:52 AM on 05/01/2010

The Zuck's a Duck! And a thief, liar, and all round piece of work.

[bradley foote]

10:21 AM on 05/14/2010

just painting like picasso, mebbe

[enoughofrr]

08:03 AM on 05/01/2010

Another reason not to Facebook.

[NetBlog]

06:37 AM on 05/04/2010

What the other?