The Spectrum

Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: News

Every move you make, Facebook will be watching you through its new "virtual tracking device" capabilities.

Ever heard of too much information? The future and fortune of the popular "online directory that connects people through social networks" is raising some serious questions about privacy.

Back to school this semester meant buying textbooks, moving in and now Mini Feeds. Facebook, more commonly known as the virtual yearbook where college and high school students can befriend, reconnect and stay in contact with one another has morphed into "stalker mode" within the last few weeks.

Students, graduates and professors who have created a profile on Facebook now find that they can keep track of almost anything a designated friend does. Recently dumped? Newly tagged pictures? Change in status? No need to ask, Facebook will tell you anything you want to know.

"I don't even want to go on Facebook because I feel like I'm being watched which is kind of creepy," says Francesca Grasso, Junior, Northford. "I don't want people to know my business."

Grasso's deterrence from using Facebook is due to the sudden change on the Facebook homepage with the News Reels and Mini Feeds. These new devices enable a Facebook friend to keep track of your every move on the website if you choose to enable these settings.

The introduction of News Reels and Mini Feed's has fueled a frenzy of angry users creating anti-Facebook hatred groups and the organizing of online "riots."

Users have become upset that the website that prided itself on its "un-Myspace" qualities has now become a confusing and uncomfortable watching eye.

"The way Facebook is set up now I think defeats the purpose of actually having it. Now, everyone knows everyone's business," said Danielle Thibault, Junior, North Haven. "Also, the new layout is confusing and much harder to use."

After students outraged about the changes on Facebook, its creator, Harvard University Alumni Mark Zuckerberg, sent out a global message to all Facebook users in attempts to correct the problems.

"We really messed this one up. When we launched the News Feeds and Mini-Feeds we were trying to provide you [the user] with a stream of information about your social world. Instead, we did a bad job of explaining what the new features were and an even worse job of giving you control of them," said Zuckerberg. "I'd like to try to correct those errors now."

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools