After all the furor over Facebook's terms of service, the site announced today it was opening up the idea of its principles to everyone to comment on, and possibly even to vote on. They're calling the new terms the "Facebook Principles" and inviting everyone to take part in how they are shaped.
Number one of the principles: people should have the freedom to share whatever they want. Further sections outline the freedom to own their stuff, decide who to share with it and to remove it from Facebook.
The debate, I don't think, was ever about "owing" information -- it was about people finally realizing that putting things online is actually putting it out there -- but it's interesting that Facebook has opened up the process for everyone to decide, in what they're calling a town hall format:
"Facebook should have a town hall process of notice and comment and a system of voting to encourage input and discourse on amendments to these Principles or to the Rights and Responsibilities,'' wrote Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s vice president of communications and public policy, on the Facebook town hall site.
What does everyone think?
Just for a lighter moment ...Facebook is now trying to follow the rule By the people and for the people. :)
Posted by: Sean Ansari | February 27, 2009 at 02:39 PM