Have you checked your Facebook privacy settings yet?

December 15, 2009 by Aaron Sumner

Last week Facebook unveiled its new tools for fine-tuning your privacy filters. In a nutshell, the settings should make it much easier for you to specify who gets to see what. However, some security experts have expressed concern that the default settings are too open–in other words, they make your photos, status updates, and the like available to the entire web as real-time data, similar to rapid-fire update streams you’d see on services like Twitter.

If you use Faceook on a regular basis, chances are you’ve already been notified of the change and asked to update your settings. If not, here’s a video of what to expect. Once you’re done, it’s a good idea to double-check that your settings are indeed the way you expect them to be–the previous link outlines how to do this.

Now, all that said, I don’t mean to scare you or try to deter you from using Facebook and other social networking sites. They can be powerful tools for building personal learning networks (and, yes, having a little fun now and then). Remember, though, that just like replying to that nice Nigerian prince who needs to borrow a few grand from your bank account, it’s important to think twice before posting something on a social network you may regret later.

Photo: photobunny on Flickr

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Aaron Sumner

Aaron Sumner is the Director of Technology for Research and Development at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has worked in web development and instructional technology since 1994.