Facebook opens up with ‘bill of rights’

Faced with a user revolt over changes to its terms of service, social networking Facebook has decided to take the nuclear option: open itself up to public scrutiny.In future, the site has announced, proposals to change its terms of service will be circulated to users in order to get feedback. Some may go to a public vote, while it also said that its legal contract with Facebook addicts will be simplified into a “bill of rights and responsibilities”.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/feb/26/facebook-facebookFacebook Tries to Become a Democracy
A week after its community erupted in protest over changes to its terms of service that appeared to give it control over its users’ information, Facebook announced on Thursday that all significant policy changes on the site will be subject to comments from members and, if they prove controversial, a popular vote.Most immediately, Facebook will open a dialogue with users over a set of principles — or “foundational elements for how we want to govern the site,” said Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder and chief executive. Users will have the opportunity over the next 30 days to comment and vote on these principles, which are posted in a document that tries to harness some of the verbal eloquence of a governing constitution.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/facebook-remakes-itself-as-a-democracy/Facebook asks users to determine its policies
Facebook sought to recover from the controversy over its terms of use by today allowing users to help decide the site’s policies.Announcing the move, Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO, said Facebook did not own the content such as photos and messages posted by users on the site and never intended to give that impression.The company said its new approach to site governance offered its users around the world an unprecedented role in determining the future policies of the service.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5812049.eceFacebook opens up to user debate and vote
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg held a press conference Thursday to discuss the uproar over the social network’s failed attempt earlier this month to revise its privacy policy. But instead of simply releasing yet another terms-of-service document, he revealed a new, community-driven process for governing Facebook .The thrust of the new plan is that future changes in the Facebook agreements with users will be put up for open debate in a process of “notice and comment.” The forum will be open to all Facebook users. If Facebook proposes a modification to a term of service that is uncontroversial or has limited feedback, it will get incorporated into the user agreement after a stated period of time. But if there’s argument or division over a proposed change, users will be able to debate them and ultimately vote on updates to the Facebook agreements.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10172787-2.htmlFacebook offers control to users
Facebook has responded to criticism over the way it handles user data by handing over control to its users.Members of the social network will have comment and voting rights over the firm’s future policies regarding how the site is governed.Founder Mark Zuckerberg said the aim was to “open up Facebook so that users can participate meaningfully in our policies and our future”.Privacy International’s Simon Davies said the move was “unprecedented”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7913289.stmDawn of a Facebook Democracy? Users Invited to Shape Site’s Policies
Facebook announced a new approach to how the company would create future policies that impact user privacy. During a press conference on Thursday Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said the move was in direct response to a user backlash earlier this month when Facebook changed its terms of service claiming ownership of user content. It later reverted to an earlier terms of service.Today Facebook introduced what it calls Facebook Principals described by the company as, ” a set of values that will guide the development of the service, and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities that make clear Facebook’s and users’ commitments related to the service.”
http://www.pcworld.com/article/160314/.htmlFacebook Opens Site Rules To User Voting
In an effort to turn a black eye into an appealing new look, Facebook on Thursday agreed to let its users have a say in the site’s rules.The social networking site changed its Terms of Service earlier this month without notice. A furor erupted across the Internet when the legalese governing the new contract appeared to grant Facebook the right to do pretty much whatever it wanted with its users’ data. The company then backtracked and reversed the changes. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote a blog post to quell the fury, assuring users his company’s intentions were good and trying to explain the controversy away while acknowledging that the communication about the changes wasn’t handled well.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=214600366A Facebook Democracy? Users Invited to Shape Site’s Policies
Facebook announced a new approach to how the company would create future policies that impact user privacy. During a press conference on Thursday Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said the move was in direct response to a user backlash earlier this month when Facebook changed its terms of service claiming ownership of user content. It later reverted to an earlier terms of service.Today Facebook introduced what it calls Facebook Principals described by the company as, ” a set of values that will guide the development of the service, and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities that make clear Facebook’s and users’ commitments related to the service.”
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/022609-a-facebook-democracy-users-invited.htmlFacebook lets users comment on new terms of service
Facebook Inc is asking its members to help shape its governance policies after drawing their ire for a policy change that many perceived as being overbearing and potentially compromising privacy.From now on, the social networking site will be guided by a set of principles that reflect its dedication to transparency and openness in communication, Facebook said on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE51P7PE20090226
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38237420090226Facebook to let users give input on policies [AP]
Facebook is trying its hand at democracy.The fast-growing online hangout, whose more than 175 million worldwide users could form the world’s sixth-largest country behind Brazil, said Thursday that those users will play a “meaningful role” in deciding the site’s policies and voting on changes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10559056