Artificial Ignorance - Latest Comments in Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Guest — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:23:22 -0000

I am having the same problem with facebook so-called privacy settings! Yesterday I posted to my wall a question asking for parenting advice, I clicked on the little "lock" icon next to the share button and a dialog box came up and had two settings "Make this visible to" and "Hide this from" and you could select names from your friends list. I selected about 10 old friends who did not know my daughter as i did not want to post it to everyone and embarrass her. My husband was not on the list as I only asked the question to moms...and my other daughter was not on the list, nor were any of her friends. Just 10 people on the "make this visible to" list...it posted to EVERYONE on my friends list news feeds!!!!!!!! Apparently, I am thinking I have to use the "hide this from" list for ALL FRIENDS I DON"T WANT TO SEE IT and I don't know what the he[[ the "make this visible to" list is for then??? Be VERY careful when using that setting - it is not reliable!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Mara Alexander — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:28:40 -0000

You're so very right....they aren't working. Silly me, to assume ANYTHING on Facebook works as they claim it does. My bad.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Elizabeth McCoy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:21:43 -0000

many ppl probably have this problem but dont' know it. Scary! Seems like there is no response from facebook resolving this issue and explaining what is going on. Lots of posts in help with no answer.

I had to individually edit EVERY application on my facebook profile to block my limited profile group. That includes photos, groups, and other FACEBOOK apps??? Weird why won't the universal privacy settings resolve this?

Even after that WHICH DID HELP I found that my wall still isn't protected??? WTH???

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Cadill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:01:50 -0000

I have the same problem - people and groups who have been explicitly denied access to view my "Wall" are still able to see it. Did anyone ever figure out an answer to this problem?

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Name — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:13:14 -0000

Thanks for posting this. I finally signed up for Facebook this week and started locking things down and testing. I set up my friends, work and family lists and had photos of various things set up and ready to go. When I tried to set privacy on albums, I can't even get the selection menu to work. Your testing process saved me quite a bit of time. Thanks for saving from a horrible mistake.

I'll still use Facebook but I can not and will not trust it with pictures of my daughter or wife. Pretty much, it it will be used to hear about random parties with casual friends and I can post pix of concerts or something but that's really about it.

In my mind, after what I've heard, the Facebook brand and platform are forever crap and will be regarded as such.

You're my hero.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Nina Anthony — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:55:47 -0000

Hi Anand. I just conducted a search on Google using the search phrase: "limited profile privacy function on Facebook does not work" and your post came up. I, too, have discovered that Facebook's privacy settings don't work. I was horrified to learn that everyone can see/read everything on my wall and everyone can see my photos.
I had even instructed my daughter on how to set her privacy settings so that her teachers who had asked to be her friend couldn't see everything. I had created limited profiles for casual acquaintances and work colleagues. I thought everything was working just fine until one day, a friend who was on a list without access to my wall posts, suddently commented on a photo that I posted on my wall. Alarmed, I asked my daughter to put me on a limited profile list and I did the same with her. To our surprise, the limited access settings we customized did not work. I have also tested privacy settings with friends. Again, they do not work. So, for those of trying to conceal things from your boss or your mom, or your teachers, BEWARE. They can see everything!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

boni sainti — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:33:05 -0000

WOW!!!

I can't believe it..

I've been trusting using facebook privacy settings to protect my privacy all along.

Then after reading all the fuss, I decided to test it using 2 dummy test accounts..

BAM!!

I'm having the same problem!!

I've created the dummy accounts, then put them on a limited profile list. But those accounts can still see my photos, wall post, etc!!

Shocking!

This is a major privacy breech!!

Facebook truly needs to fix this ASAP before the word spreads!

People aren't going to trust using facebook anymore, if this doesn't get fixed!!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

unixfg — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:52:34 -0000

{deleted}

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Stephanos Anton Ballmerfeld — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:59:11 -0000

The settings could be better, we will work more closely with them when they let us "invest" more!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Dbalasu — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:39:20 -0000

Wow, I had noticed this earlier (about a year ago) but I thought it was just me, doing something wrong. I'm glad someone else noticed it and wrote about it -- I think it might have pushed facebook to do something about it asap? Either way, I hope to try again soon(when I work the time to mess around on fb) and have it working! thanks for bringing it to light -- especially after reading your post about your niece and then some of the comments, I was pretty creeped out!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Cathi — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:01:34 -0000

It's August 6, I just spent hours doing just what you did as illustrated above based on an e-how posting. I was so happy! But when I tested it as you did, my settings were absolutely no differant than before I did one single thing. I have no answer- I'm just frustrated too!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

AhSatan88 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:52:52 -0000

I just spent a few hours thinking I was crazy for having this problem... Thanks for the step by step, I was doing the same thing and feeling stupid since it wasn't working! I'm so glad I'm not alone, and infuriated that facebook (a company I respected) would let such a MAJOR problem continue for this long. This is horrible.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Name — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:32:53 -0000

i tried to do this with coworkers whom i dont know

i also created a new Coworker friend list

both individulally and the list iteself are blacklisted from every possible category (and saved) and yet they can still see EVERYTHING

WTF

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Dale — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:34:41 -0000

I recently found the same thing. I have photos of my kids reserved for just family and close friends. I had created a limited, and very limited profile, where both were added to no longer view photos and some to not view my contact information. I recently found with a test of adding a friend to each list to verify that it makes zero difference, everything is open to anyone in my friends list.
As far as I am concerned this is Fraud on Facebooks behalf, they make it look like you have security, but in fact you have none.
So to sum up, the following limited profiles that have been added to the no longer view list options on countless sections on facebook, do not work for anything, not for photo albums, not for contact information, not for wall posts, nothing. I have edited each individual photo album I create and added in both limited profiles in the no access section, but it doesn't work.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Jasper — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:53:33 -0000

Actually, I think you have not uncovered a bug and all works as designed. But that's the problem, the design is confusing and ambiguous.

You changed the "Videos tagged of me" privacy setting but then write: "I edited the privacy settings and explicitly denied “Art Ignor” permission to see my videos." That is not so, you just made the one link to "View Photos/Video of me" hidden. The question mark besides the privacy feature explains: "Use this control to decide who can see the list of videos of you that you or your friends have tagged." So, it doesn't control access to the videos, it controls access to that specific list. If you want to limit access to a specific video, you have to edit the visibility of each individual video (or photo album) by editing it.

There is a similarly confusing option:
http://www.facebook.com/edi...
It lets you make the profile box for photos/videos hidden on your profile. But just like the tagged-of-me list, hiding the profile box itself doesn't change access to the actual media. It may still publish an article on your wall, or a mutual friend (i.e. someone who is tagged or comments) may provide a link to the media indirectly.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

sswathi dharshana naidu — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:12:00 -0000

hello Mr. Anand Iyer
its really embarrassing me. Do u think i m a fool or crazy? what is this? I was shocked, after reading the article i m really confused. R u crazy?. I m a student (BTech IT in national engg college) I studied in Indian school, Salalah. I lived there for 10 years. i belong to a good family. but u r spoiling my name and behaviour. What do u think of urself?i m a tech researcher and a writer too.I write about people and there achievements. I have written about Neil Patel, Kulveer Taggar,, harjeet taggar, gokulram, ram shri ram and the list of 25 indo-Americans,I was happy when i saw you with mike(tech crunch) and started searching about u on net, i got a answer and an idea on developing Evangelist. i want everybody to read ur history, so i went on writing an article about the famous ppl in a college article it made me to write on a magazine. So i wrote in kumudham(weekly tamil magazine). As i was in facebook, i started a group for you (http://www.facebook.com/pag... its is not only for you, it is for ppl who ask me an inspiration stories. i had written more on more ppl. The only reason i went on chat to ur sister is bcoz she also studied in Indian School and another reason is that she is your sister. As i am an enterneur, i was happy to see u growing large. Just ask ur sister did i told anything, we just had a usual chat. If u think that i didn't any thing wrong, just u can clap on my face. You and ur post(blog) really pushed me under thones. This is the first time in my life to hear a bad opition on me.You r not the only person, who i write, You may be the 200th or something. I'ven't meet such a wrong critics,on me. What u said "mentioned this friend’s inquisitiveness to me and the fact that this person had asked about my niece" what is this? If ur sister is a geek i can ask about that, If ur sister is a writer i can ask about that, But ur sister is a friend to me and all she is ur sister, When i went for ur pic to paste it on the facebook group, i saw ur niece, so i asked about her. Do u think i m a terrorist or something like that? please reply me. This is really hurting me. I m a ordinary girl, i m ready to prove,who i m ? and what i m?
Its my mother's promise that i m nothing, and I didn't do anything wrong . Anand please Reply me. If you think that i have done anything wrong or my work had made you feel bad, then millions of sorry sorry sorry.......... you r really brilliant and great, keep doing the same.Pls don't mistake me. Please reply me, so that it will relief me.Please, Please.
BOTTOMLINE: its a promise that i don't have any of ur families picture, if anything lies, then i will delete it.
thank u,

your's faithfully,
swathi dharshana naidu
email= littlecircus-sdn@hotmail.com
cloudsonstreet@yahoo.com

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Travis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:38:05 -0000

I think it's just videos that are the problem. Privacy settings seem to work for walls/personal info/photos, but for some reason videos are exempt. Still bad, but not as bad as them not taking effect at all.

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Nicolas Sauvage — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:31:21 -0000

I confirm this is not working! Just did the test with my wife. Shocking for a company that claims to take privacy so seriously...

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Kurt Brockett — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:22:17 -0000

It's all good and fine until the niece gets brought into it. Call me extra paranoid now that I have a 17 month old daughter. 99% nothing comes up from Mr. Creepy. But even at 1% it's worth tracking this down. Please, please be sure to keep the post updated as you learn more.

Thanks!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

nathantuggy — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:49:25 -0000

I am shocked -- especially since I just verified it for myself.
I always assumed that my (moderately stringent) privacy settings were taking effect, mostly because I never had the chance to check on them. To find out that there is no privacy guard against someone you've added as a friend is horrifying! How much else have they gotten wrong?

I'm beginning to have my doubts about Facebook, honestly....

EDITED TO CORRECT: Apparently, I misread the labels on my friend list privacy settings, and thought that I had barred a particular list (semi-friends) from seeing something, when only Limited Profile had been prevented from seeing that.
With that fix, FB privacy settings seem to be working again (I have not verified my privacy settings from another account, only used the impersonation function, so take this with a grain of salt). Perhaps a fairly short-term bug on FB's part, corrected some time between your post and my test just now?
(BTW, all, sorry for that amazing mistake on my part. No excuse for seeing it wrong. I deeply apologize.)

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

Katherine LaRochelle — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:33:30 -0000

This is seriously disconcerting! I play the Mafia Wars game and added a bunch of people tha tI don't actually KNOW simply for the game. I created a group specifically for these people and added them all into it and did the same things that you describe so that they cannot see my personal informaiton and photos, etc. Now I am seriously concerned that they and anyone they know can see EVERYTHING on my profile! Disturbing to say the least, espcially consider what that creepo was doing WRT your neice!

Re: Are Facebook’s privacy settings working?

sriks7 — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:06:45 -0000

Can't believe there are no comments on this!!
Good article Anand , I have been having some doubts my self on this since last week.
When some of my friends could see some comments I had set for them not to in Fb