The Paranoid Can Relax, Facebook Dials Up Privacy With Places

Less than one hour after Facebook struck the ceremonial gong, signaling the official birth of Places, the ACLU of Northern California was ready to cry foul play. In a 429-word post titled, "Facebook Places: Check This Out, Before You Check In," the ACLU branch rips the new feature for a perceived lack of user control, complaining (in dramatically bold font) that "in the world of Facebook Places, “no” is unfortunately not an option." While this anonymous ACLU member may have a real knack for writing movie trailers, I don't buy the case they're building against Facebook. To be honest, I've never been a fan of Facebook's history with privacy, but they are making a real effort to dial up privacy with Places. So while all sins are not forgiven, let's start with a solid B for Places and a promise not to burn them at the stake (at least not today). First, let's walk through what you need to know as a user (this post is updated with further clarification from Facebook's Director of Policy Communications, Barry Schnitt).