Poll: Up To 60pct of Polled Users May Quit Facebook Over Privacy

Forum Moderators: rogerd

Message Too Old, No Replies

Poll: Up To 60pct of Polled Users May Quit Facebook Over Privacy

engine

5:20 pm on May 21, 2010 (gmt 0)

Poll: Up To 60pct of Polled Users May Quit Facebook Over Privacy [news.yahoo.com]

The scary headlines about Facebook privacy (or lack thereof) seem to have struck a chord with users of the ubiquitous social-networking service, with more than half of users in a recent online survey saying they're poised to bail on Facebook over worries about their private info.Internet security firm Sophos posted the poll (which it acknowledged was unscientific), and its senior technology consultant Graham Cluley reported that of the 1,588 Facebook users who responded, a full 60 percent thought they would "possibly" quit Facebook or were "highly likely" to do so over privacy concerns. Sixteen percent said they'd already nixed their accounts. (Computerworld Philippines reported on Cluley's blog post.)

I always read these carefully and don't get carried away with the idea of 60% ditching FB.

If you pose the question about quitting Facebook, you're bound to get a higher percentage wanting to ditch it.

StoutFiles

5:32 pm on May 21, 2010 (gmt 0)

Easier to say you'll leave then go through with it.

HOWEVER! It does show that a wave of people initially quitting might start a huge wave of people following with them. Future competition to Facebook should feel good that people would be willing to jump ship.

Status_203

9:18 am on May 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

The original blog post doesn't say (or I missed) where the poll was posted, but if it was on Sophos' website then would be a majorly self selecting sample. Who spends time on Sophos' website (even if you run their software) - I would think mostly those who already know far more than average about these issues.

walkman

11:40 am on May 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

"Sixteen percent said they'd already nixed their accounts."

shows that the poll is not scientific (as they freely admit)

[edited by: walkman at 11:52 am (utc) on May 24, 2010]

tangor

11:46 am on May 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

Sad reality is that 00% (sic) have no clue, don't care, and will scream at their next job interview when their FB page is brought up during same...

Users are, in general, idiots. To users reading this, my apologies. Wish it wasn't so, but there's way too much anecdotal evidence...

rogerd

2:10 am on May 25, 2010 (gmt 0)

Seems very unlikely to happen absent some major new problems. Most users pay little attention to privacy.

I'm reasonably aware of such issues, but even I find myself clicking through the notifications on my Android phone with little caution. The app needs to know my location? My phone info? Do I pause to wonder why? Usually not.

tangor

2:40 am on May 25, 2010 (gmt 0)

Zuckerberg is seeking to soften user anger over privacy erosion with an admission that the social networking site has made some mistakes.

Using an op-ed piece in Monday's Washington Post as a soapbox, Zuckerberg has promised to simplify the site's increasingly complex privacy controls and allow users to opt out of third-party services.

"Our intention was to give you lots of granular controls; but that may not have been what many of you wanted," Zuckerberg writes. "We just missed the mark.

[theregister.co.uk...]