Facebook Users Voting On Privacy, Instagram, Other Issues

Nerval's Lobster writes "Facebook is letting users vote on changes to its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (Facebook users can vote via this link). The company will also host a live Webcast to answer questions at 9:30 AM PST. One section of Facebook's revamped policies insists that the network can share information with its family of companies. This apparently applies to Instagram, the photo-sharing service acquired by Facebook earlier this year. Under the terms of the provision, Facebook can store 'Instagram's server logs and administrative records in a way that is more efficient than maintaining totally separate storage systems.' Facebook is also clarifying its language surrounding affiliates, as well. As long as Facebook continues to exist in its current form, these debates over its privacy rules will almost certainly continue to crop up on a semi-regular basis. The challenge for Facebook executives is how to best maintain that delicate dance between their need for revenue, advertising firms' desire for effective marketing campaigns, and users' rights to privacy. They run a corporation — but at moments, it also starts to resemble a messy democracy."

LOL, epic fail ...

[gstoddart]

So if you already have your permissions a little restrictive and don't allow apps, when you go there you get confronted with this:

Start Now Apps and Games
You are about to use Facebook Site Governance, a Start Now app. These apps start with your name, profile picture, other public info and friend list to immediately personalize your experience on Facebook.
Opt Out at Any Time
There are two ways to stop using this app and its personalization features. The first few times you use it, click Disable in the banner at the top. You can also remove it in App Settings.
To opt out of all Start Now apps, visit your Instant Personalization Settings. Learn more about instant personalization.

So, in order to participate in this voting, you need to agree to even more access by this thing just to find out what it looks like.

Facebook really are a bunch of asses aren't they? This is the same setting which wants to be used by apps and games to give them access to all of your data.

Will someone please lock Zuckerface into a room with a bear or something?

Vote no or vote no more

[aaron44126]

One of the changes in the new set of documents is the removal of this community voting process. Ars Technica has a brief article [arstechnica.com] on the changes.

Re:Not a Democracy

[Desler]

Wrong. Democracy only means that all eligible citizens have equal say in the decisions of the body politic. This can be either directly or indirectly through elected representatives. Both are still democracy.