Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

New Facebook Feature Makes Stalking Even Easier!

Surely Mark Zuckerberg saw this backlash coming

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 3, 2010 10:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – Another day, another Facebook privacy flap: Now the social networking giant is testing a feature that Mashable calls a "stalker button." It's actually a subscription feature, allowing you to subscribe to all the actions of any of your friends—meaning you will receive notifications any time that person does...basically anything. A rep tells AllFacebook that status updates and "new content" such as photos, videos, links, and notes would all prompt notifications for subscribers.

"It's the ultimate stalking tool!" writes Nick O'Neill on AllFacebook. Jolie O'Dell concurs: "We at Mashable are hoping this is an opt-in (or at least an opt-out) feature," she writes. The controls are convenient for some, but "they’re also potentially damaging if rolled out to jealous 'frenemies,' vindictive exes, or nosy bosses." Though the information is already public, this feature definitely makes stalking easier, writes Max Read on Gawker. "Surely, that's not the work of a company dedicated to privacy and user controls."

A Facebook login page is seen on a computer screen in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Thursday, August 27, 2009.
A Facebook login page is seen on a computer screen in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Thursday, August 27, 2009.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Adrian Wyld)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
8%
1%
2%
5%
62%
21%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
Rocket448
Sep 4, 2010 11:33 AM CDT
In Account| Privacy you'll find a list of Facebook elements and you're given a choice as to who may see them. If you choose "Custom" and select "Only Me" from the pulldown menu, problem solved. If Facebook is mining the users who aren't capable of figuring that out, sorry...I'm convinced they're not being responsible users. End of discussion.
laspic
Sep 3, 2010 6:08 PM CDT
This is not a new feature.
NxBigmouthery
Sep 3, 2010 5:08 PM CDT
Facebook aside, I'm really starting to get fucking sick of these portmanteaus that keep popping up: frenemies, staycation etc. Blargh.

More Newser Stories

Facebook 'Power Users' Help Everybody Else

Facebook Post Garners 1M Comments

Facebook Makes Us Feel Bad About Our Lives

Facebook Coming to ... Your Car?

Facebook Wants to Be Your Social Planner


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne