We live in an increasingly noisy, over exposed world, drenched in data where information is spread in real-time and our freedom is being compromised. Privacy has become a precious commodity as social structures like Facebook are so pervasive in our lives there appears little hope of a refuge.

 Facebook hit 300 million users this past month and touted profits for the first time. According to Comscore traffic to the main site grew by 14% across all demographics as even Gramma wanted to join in on the conversation. This is the highest growth rate the site has seen all year.

 Social sites on a whole grew in participation as 15% of all internet users now interact on social sites. It is easier to update information, load photos and videos to a social site than it is to communicate the old way – via email.

 However, the need for privacy controls couldn’t be more necessary than it is today. The content we are posting on Facebook is being scrubbed by the likes of Lexicon, Facebook’s data mining software. This software graphs word phrases quantifying the number of times a word or phrase is written on a Facebook “wall” over the year. For marketers and major corporations it helps with ad placement but for privacy officers there is discussion that users should have a choice how their comments and opinions are being used. The EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Centre) says that social ads which place user data into related ads is illegal.

 Canada’s Privacy Commissioner challenged Facebook on four fronts as Facebook does not compile with Canada’s privacy laws by essentially keeping accounts on file indefinitely after they are deactivated and sharing user info with 3^rd party software developers who create their quiz and game apps. Facebook has agreed to address the  following privacy concerns:

(A)Stricter Rules for Application providers – When you install an app you’re asked by the developer for full access to your profile allowing personal information to be readily available to marketers. Now providers will have to get consent and indicate how personal information is going to be used.

(B)Account Deactivation – There should be an option to have your data permanently erased when you close your account

(C)Making it clearer to non-users how their email addresses for invite –to-Facebook is stored or used by Facebook

(D)Account Owner Dies – Facebook needs to make it clear what happens to the account when the owner dies. 

There is a great opportunity for new social software of the likes of Drop.io This online private sharing service allows you to upload a file, photo, video or whatever and get a special URL you can provide to friends where you can specify the expiry date. If you don’t specify a date the information is erased within one year.