« Company-Specific Online Safety Initiatives
Facebook is a social utility that helps people better understand the world around them. The company develops technologies that facilitate the spread of information through social networks allowing people to share information online the same way they do in the real world. Made up of many networks—individual schools, companies or regions—each of which are independent and closed off to unaffiliated users, Facebook is a tool that allows users to share information about themselves with people they see at school or work everyday as well as those they choose to add as friends outside their own network. Since its start in 2004, Facebook has considered the safety and security of its users a priority and that is why the site offers five levels of protection.
Five Levels of Protection
The Network System
To join Facebook, people can authenticate into a school or work network, or they can join a regional network. Facebook is different from other social networking sites because it is centered around real communities to which the user already belongs. A user’s profile is only visible to people registered at their school or company and those who are confirmed as friends at other schools.
Privacy Settings
Every Facebook user has the ability to customize his or her privacy settings on the ‘My Privacy’ page. Users can limit who views their profile (everyone in their networks, some of their networks and all their friends, only friends) and choose parts of their profile to hide (contact information, wall postings, online status.)
- Limited Profile – Users can establish a Limited Profile that will create a limited view of their profile for selected people. They can add any individual to that list at any time and those individuals will not be able to see certain profile features.
- Blocking – If they do not want someone to be able to see their profile, find them in searches or contact them through the site, they can add them to their blocked list on their My Privacy page. The other person will not be able to message them, see their profile, or even know they are on the site.
Reporting
If a user finds objectionable content that violates Facebook’s Terms of Use, he or she has the ability to click “Report” links in various places on the site. All reports flow into a customer service team who then review the content for any violations of the Terms of Use. Inappropriate content is removed and the user warned or banned according to the level of offense.
Experienced Investigations Team
Facebook has an experienced investigations team to help with any privacy, security, or safety concerns on the site. In addition to reviewing reported material, the investigations team also works with law enforcement as needed. Facebook also posts safety tips available at www.facebook.com/help.php?tab=safety for users, parents, and school officials.
Technology Tools
Facebook continues to believe that social sites must use technology to establish safer environments for their users. Different design principles lead to different levels of risk and Facebook is specifically designed to continue the use of social norms and real world networks. Additionally, Facebook’s intelligent application of technology limits the risk that the site will be used to facilitate crimes against children or anyone else.
