Facebook has been under fire of late because of growing privacy concerns amongst its users. At the centre of the debate is the company’s constantly changing privacy rules for existing Facebook users. On occasion, the company has moved the default mode for sharing Internet-wide from an opt-out to an opt-in for both new and existing users.
At the D8 All Things Digital Technology Conference, Walt Mossberg asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg specifically about these changes from opt-out to opt-in. The feeling amongst detractors is that Zuckerberg is under great pressure to monetize his user base and has decided to shift from opt-out to opt-in to facilitate this.
Zuckerberg’s answers to Mossberg’s questions were vague. He fell back on trying to re-count how the management team has wrestled with these privacy concerns in creating new products while still growing at a breakneck pace. Clearly, this is an issue of trust since Facebook users share fairly intimate details of their lives with friends, family and colleagues. And as yet, these privacy concerns have not impeded Facebook’s growth. But, Facebook has its doubters as a post on Daily Finance reviewing Zuckerberg’s performance attests.
You can judge how well Zuckerberg did for yourself; two videos are embedded below courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.
D8 Video: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Privacy
D8 Video: Under Mark Zuckerberg’s Hoodie