Facebook Experiments with User-Friendly Privacy Policy

After having received numerous complaints regarding their privacy policy and how difficult it was to comprehend it, Facebook decided to release a more user-friendly version that is structured differently than the standard one and also uses a 'simpler' language.

First of all, it should be noted that the improved and simplified version is not the official policy adopted by Facebook.

It might replace the current one if users “like this approach. And if you do, we’ll consider making it our official privacy policy.”

As explained on a post on their website, the Facebook team is trying to change the structure and contents of this policy because they want members to actually understand all the rules and to be able to rely on them to protect their private information and photos.

The ideal way to use Facebook is to have total control over the amount of data that is available to others, be they friends or outsiders.

Also, one should also be aware of the choices they have when setting up their account, to know that some of their photos can be available to certain people, while others can be set as off-limits.

Another reason that prompted the Facebook team to produce a 'lighter' version of their privacy policy was user feedback.

Numerous comments repeatedly criticized its length or the terms and phrases it included.

It should also be mentioned that improved version contains additional information that was initially located in other areas of the website (such as the Help center).

Here are the principles that were reportedly used when creating the simplified policy:
· First, it should be easy to understand, even when the concepts are complicated, or it is of no use to anyone.
· Second, it should be visual and interactive, because that's the way people use the web today.
· And third, it should focus on the questions people who use Facebook are most likely to ask, because that makes it relevant.

The new policy can be accessed here, while the official one is here. It will be up to users to choose the version they like best.