Facebook recently launched new security features that claim to protect users from hackers, an issue the popular social networking Web site is currently dealing with.
Hackers are growing in numbers on Facebook, and many fake profiles are infiltrating the site.
Under the new security features, which are similar to what banks use to protect their customers, Facebook users can identify approved computers and cell phones that are allowed to access their Facebook accounts. If an unauthorized device tries to log in, the user will be notified of that activity by e-mail or text message to allow them to shut down an attack before any information is stolen.
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve been testing a new feature that allows you to approve the devices you commonly use to log in and then to be notified whenever your account is accessed from a device you haven’t approved. This feature is now available to everyone,” according to Facebook’s blog post, “Staying in Control of Your Facebook Logins.”
To use the new feature, users can go to the “Account Settings” page and click on the link next to “Account Security” at the bottom of the page to select the option to get notifications for logging in with new devices. Every time users log in, they will be asked to name and save the devices they use to access Facebook, according to the blog.
The blog advises users to be careful where they enter in their passwords and not to download suspicious-looking software. Facebook has created a Security Page users can “Like” to receive updates.
Meanwhile, through blog posts and Twitter feeds, users have expressed a growing concern for their privacy in reaction to Facebook teaming up with more third-party Web sites than ever before for Facebook’s new instant personalization program. The feature links users’ personal information to third-party Web sites such as Pandora and Yelp. Facebook users are automatically opted into this new program.
University professors and Internet experts said the new security features were inadequate in protecting privacy online. “It doesn’t mitigate the privacy issue,” Electronic Freedom Foundation spokesperson Rebecca Jeschke said.
Online privacy, especially on social networking sites, is a growing issue, experts agreed.
“Privacy is evolving,” University journalism professor Kyu Ho Youm said. “Facebook should be more sensitive. Everybody wants to use it. They need to be more socially responsible.”
Facebook is making its users angry, University journalism instructor Kelli Matthews said.
“They’re making information available to third-party Web sites,” Matthews said. “People use Facebook for personal reasons. There’s now no line between personal and private. (Facebook) should practice what they preach. They’re making users open up their information, but they’re not doing the same.”
Experts agree that Facebook’s attitude towards privacy could cause user trust to dwindle. An increasing number of Facebook users have also expressed the desire to delete their Facebook accounts, but deleting an account is not as straightforward as it sounds.
Deactivating and deleting a Facebook account are different things. When an account is deactivated, Facebook still keeps user photos and information. But when an account is deleted, all of that information is deleted permanently.
“Facebook is in danger of shooting itself in the foot,” University journalism graduate student Staci Tucker said. “Social media is vulnerable to trends. Facebook is not immune. They could lose out to alternatives.”
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