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Facebook CEO Apologizes To Users Over Tracking Ads
Wall Street Journal ^ | 5 December 2007 | VAUHINI VARA

Posted on 12/05/2007 5:04:31 PM PST by shrinkermd

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and chief executive of Facebook Inc., apologized Wednesday for gaffes the company made in rolling out a controversial new advertising system, and said users would be able to disable the system entirely

Facebook last week tweaked the ad program, known as Beacon, after more than 50,000 users raised privacy concerns about features that tell Facebook users what their friends are doing and buying on other Web sites.

Facebook made the changes last week without much public comment from its executives, but Mr. Zuckerberg weighed in Wednesday of Facebook's corporate blog4.

"We've made a lot of mistakes building this feature, but we've made even more with how we've handled them," Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. "We simply did a bad job with this release, and I apologize for it."

Mr. Zuckerberg said Facebook took too long to react to user complaints. He said Facebook is releasing a privacy control to allow users to turn off Beacon completely, and he hopes "this new privacy control addresses any remaining issues we've heard about from you."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News
KEYWORDS: ads; facebook; privacy
If I understand this correctly they have not stopped Beacon only permitted those who know of its character the opportunity to disable it.
1 posted on 12/05/2007 5:04:32 PM PST by shrinkermd
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To: shrinkermd

No, not even the opportunity to disable it. Just the opportunity of having them not broadcast your activities. You are still being followed, while this is still legal...which it shouldn’t be.


2 posted on 12/05/2007 5:15:09 PM PST by spyone
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To: spyone
You are still being followed, while this is still legal...which it shouldn’t be.

Does facebook have a terms of agreement noting this that users acknowledge? Nothing says people have to use to use facebook if they don't want to be "followed".

3 posted on 12/05/2007 8:48:07 PM PST by GATOR NAVY
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To: GATOR NAVY

I don’t know. Does your bank? Does Free Republic? My point is this should be illegal.


4 posted on 12/05/2007 8:57:20 PM PST by spyone
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