Facebook trusts your friends to decide on your privacy

January 25, 2009 at 9:00 AM (UTC)

I've long suspected it was the case that Facebook applications were basically a backdoor to gather up info on you and your friends. I still almost choked on my iced coffee today when I saw, as I poked through Facebook's privacy settings, the following list:

• Profile picture
• Basic info
• Personal info (activities, interests, etc.)
• Current location (what city I'm in)
• Education history
• Work history
• Profile status
• Wall
• Notes
• Groups I belong to
• Events I'm invited to
• Photos taken by me
• Photos taken of me
• Relationship status
• Online presence

The preceding is a list of items that Facebook will share with application writers, by default. (If you're feeling especially privacy-nudist, you can tick some more boxes to add "What type of relationship I'm looking for", "What sex I'm interested in", "Who I'm in a relationship with", and "Religious views".)

Oh, but it's not for applications you add. It's for applications that your friends add. So when that girl you knew from high school who is addicted to celebrity-alike quizzes adds that app to her ever-growing profile, the impact to you isn't limited to getting the weekly spams begging you to take the test as well. The way Facebook words it:

When a friend of yours allows an application to access their information, that application may also access any information about you that your friend can already see.

And, perhaps even more creepily:

Please note that this is only for applications you do not use yourself.

You can flip this crap off in Privacy > Applications > Settings.

My plan to include as little info as possible is looking pretty smart.