Facebook has made some upgrades to the "privacy" settings for accounts of teenagers aged between 13 and 17, letting them share posts publicly and allowing other users to follow their profiles.
Facebook Inc., world's largest social networking site, has modified teenagers' account privacy settings to better connect with the world without any limitations. Teenagers, aged between 13 and 17, were allowed to share posts only with a limited audience in order to protect their privacy, which went as far as "friends of friends". But now the social network is about to change that by allowing teens to post publicly.
Facebook has lifted the barrier from teenagers' profiles to share posts publicly but hasn't refrained from warning them about the consequences. With the new policy change, teen users control how to share a post - with friends, with friends of friends or with the world. Facebook will display a warning message when teenagers choose to share a message or a photo publicly. The warning will be displayed every time they choose the public share option.
"Teens are among the savviest people using social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism, or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard," Facebook said in a blog post, Wednesday. "So, starting today, people aged 13 through 17 will also have the choice to post publicly on Facebook."
"We take the safety of teens very seriously, so they will see an extra reminder before they can share publicly," the company added.
In addition to letting teens share posts publicly, Facebook also allows them to add a "Follow" button to their profiles. Any Facebook user can follow a profile and read all posts and see photos that are shared publicly. Although the latest update gives teens a wider audience for their posts, the bigger question is how safe are they in the huge world of social connectivity with billions of users. It is really essential that teens understand the consequences of sharing information publicly and not just do it with an enthusiasm to be seen and heard.
