Facebook Privacy Policy: Longer Than the Constitution

Shy people have a lot of clicking to do
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted May 13, 2010 9:17 AM CDT
Facebook Privacy Policy: Longer Than the Constitution
Facebook privacy settings are shown in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009.   (AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels)

If you want to understand Facebook's privacy policy, you better have a comfy chair and lots of time on your hands. At 5,830 words, the policy is longer than the US Constitution (a pithy 4,543 words), the New York Times notes. And that's assuming you understand all the legalese; if not, you'll have to turn to the privacy FAQ, which weighs in at over 45,000 words.

Needless to say, the site's privacy settings have gotten a wee bit labyrinthine. Recent changes have made virtually all your information public, unless you opt out. But opting out isn't easy—you'll have to click through more than 50 buttons, choosing from more than 170 options. And even if you go through all of that, Facebook will still share info with advertisers unless you find the further opt-outs hidden in the Facebook Ads settings. And even after all of that, community pages will still share your tastes with the world.
(More Facebook privacy stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X