Facebook Changes User Privacy Rules

Amid rising worries from users about what information is given, shared and passed to various parties, Facebook has finally addressed the situation by revising their privacy policies to ensure users that their Facebook experience will remain uncompromised, that their information is safe, and they have more control than ever on what information is seen by whom.

From the original 6,000 word policy, it has now been scaled down to a much more readable 2,700, which is definitely friendlier to the eye. In addition, it also developed a innovative interactive guide, that can answer users’ frequently asked questions without going through the traditional document; questions such as “who can see my information?” is easily and quickly answered.

Three major standouts of the policy as it pertains to businesses that operate and engage with customers on Facebook are:

1) Location-based information. Among the various changes in this area of Facebook’s business is the increased control of the user’s own information when it comes to discovering what’s happening around them. Facebook has updated their policies to explain how they get their location information to from the favorite places of their users via features such as Check-In, Nearby Places, and Places (city directory). With this knowledge, users now have more control as to what information they let others see in terms of where they are, and where they might be going.

2) The Buy Now button. Facebook is working on a feature that will allow users to buy products and services from the businesses they engage with without leaving Facebook, making the advertising-to-purchase process that much easier for everyone involved.

3) More control over ads. If a user decided that they didn’t want to see an ad on their iPhone, that same ad would show up anyway on their desktop computer and iPad. With the new changes, users now can choose to forgo ads across all of their devices and platforms, using either iOS or Android.

There are clear benefits for Facebook users, but businesses will have more of a challenge to reach existing and potential customers in some regard. For instance, all the privacy talk will force businesses to take a second look at how they share information with their consumers, as well as to think from the consumer’s perspective in terms of their needs when it comes to their privacy. In terms of the increased control over ads by the consumer, this may mean less of an opportunity to be seen by potential customers on their news feed. Businesses will have to specialize and curate their content even more.

Lastly, the Buy Now button is a great opportunity to further engage with the customer where they are present the most: social media. This capitalizes on completing the customer experience with their purchase of your product or service via your ad or page.