Facebook rolls out simpler privacy controls

Facebook has altered its privacy settings after a global backlash against its default 'opt out' settings. Photo / AP

Facebook has rolled out new, simplified privacy settings to pacify users after criticism that its previous settings shared too much personal information with other users, outsiders and third parties.

In the changes rolled out this week, users are given simple tools to enable them to share personal information with everyone, friends of friends or friends only, or use their own customised settings.

Other options let users see information about their friends "the moment you arrive on select partner websites" and control what personal information is available to applications and websites when they are used by Facebook friends.

The way the information is shared is also better explained in the new settings.

Users are alerted to the changes in a box on their main Facebook screen, which then takes them to a page explaining the changes.

The social networking site, with more than 400 million users worldwide, had previously launched privacy settings which made personal information public by default, along with an 'Instant Personalisation Pilot Programme' which shared personal information with external websites.

Users were not alerted to the previous changes and had to opt out of them line-by-line to control their privacy settings.

The changes prompted complaints from users, governments and privacy bodies around the world, including New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff, who said last month she was liaising with overseas privacy regulators about the website's privacy issues.

The complaints led Facebook to announce last month it would introduce "drastically simplified" tools for privacy control.

But that assurance was not enough to stop 35,000 users worldwide pledging to close their accounts on May 31 during an organised Quit Facebook Day.

The exact number of users who had quit the website on the day is not known, although it has been widely touted as a flop.

New Zealand assistant Privacy Commissioner Katrine Evans today said the commission hadn't had an opportunity to assess the new settings yet, but time would tell if users were happy.

She said it was "disappointing" Facebook had taken so long to act on privacy problems, but they were now realising "good privacy is good business and...they need to listen to their customers".

"We are in touch with other overseas privacy commissioners and will be working with them on this. A multi-national response is the best way to deal with multi-national issues."

New Zealanders are able to share their views on the new settings with the Privacy Commission by emailing enquiries@privacy.org.nz.

- NZPA