Jul 25, 2011 14:53 GMT  ·  By

A permissions glitch allowed Facebook users to see a list of their friends' private videos for over a week despite not having access to them.

Facebook allows users to set strict access rules for videos they post on the social network because of the sensitive nature that such content can have.

According to TechCruch, an error with the permissions system allowed users to see the names, thumbnails and tags of videos posted by their friends.

Obviously, in some situations a video thumbnail or title can be very embarrassing if seen by the wrong people.

And as we all know, on Facebook, "friends" are not only the people that you share everything with, but can also be your parents, siblings, work colleagues and others who you might not want knowing every aspect of your life.

For example, let's say you call in sick at work one day and go to an amusement park with your girlfriend. Then your boss, who you added on Facebook because everyone else did, sees that you shared a video with your sweetheart called "Us at [name] on [date]."

Facebook has confirmed the glitch and pointed out that it was only limited to people in the user's friend list. While this is little consolation for having your privacy violated, it is fortunate that the error wasn't more widespread.

The incident is the perfect example why people should refrain from posting really sensitive information, including photos and videos, on social networking websites. Yes, it is very convenient to share something with just a few clicks, but once you put it on Facebook you entrust the company to protect it and respect your wishes.

Facebook, as most companies will make mistakes. It has already experienced numerous privacy compromising glitches in the past, including ones that exposed private wall posts and photos.