AGHA

In just a span of a little over one year, Facebook has boomed into the largest social networking website – its number of subscribers overshadowing all the total members of other similar websites by millions. In fact, its user base has grown to almost as large as the European population. You just couldn’t imagine how millions of people are now encroached in Facebook’s intertwined webs; consequently, you just couldn’t imagine how privacy has virtually disappeared. A few have been alarmed by this and they have quitted the social network. But still, hundreds of millions seem not to care about any privacy issue, and they have continued to patronize Facebook as their virtual global neighborhood.

This phenomenon has challenged Facebook to safeguard the privacy of its half a billion users, and with such a multitude of followers that increases its number by a hundred million in just half a year, Facebook definitely has a colossal challenge to face.

But how have people taken this Facebook privacy issue seriously?

According to a survey conducted in the US, 23 percent of the 1,000 American respondents are “very concerned” about this issue. Those who are just “concerned” make up 27 percent. The remaining 47 percent care less and continues to hold a Facebook account, as well as accounts in other related sites such as MySpace. Another interesting finding is, although women are generally concerned about the privacy issue, there are still more women who use social networking sites than men.

Indeed, many still adhere to the value propagated by social networking sites, that is, to bridge together persons around the globe. These people enjoy the bittersweet sensation of a virtual traffic jam – and the social networking sites, together with its advertisers, simply chuckle over the people’s indifference regarding this virtual jamming, considering the lucrative profit that ensues by the millions.

I believe this fact is enough for Facebook to launch an all-out fight against privacy plunderers. The usage decline could be fairly negligible considering the user base’s growth, but still, one unsubscribed member remains a threat that might multiply by millions if not looked into.

And to date, Facebook has been looking into the matter seriously. Yet despite the mayhem, Facebook can proudly declare that in never shares its members’ profile in exchange of profit for advertisers. Could we still hold on to this promise? The answer’s only as good as the next Facebook glitch.