Facebook announced this week that is looking for the user comment on a proposed redesign of its privacy policy, which is intended to make it easier to understand, while bringing the world of legalese-choked full of widgets into the realm of 21st century politics.
In a post of the governance section of the Facebook site, the company's privacy team offers a look at his "first try" reorganise, rewrite and add interactivity to the current policy, which is essentially the standard mass of small black text.
Among other potentially interesting re-imaginings, the redesign proposal has an interactive tool designed to demonstrate how profile data are put to use in serving ads (click "Personalized ads" and scroll down to "try this tool"). The tool puts Facebook members in the shoes of someone creating and assigning an advertisement. It is not clear whether users would consider that an educational aid or an annoyance in practice, but that seems to be part of the reason why the redesign of potential was put to public scrutiny in this way.
The privacy team says the redesign crude is "out of even our regular process of notice and comment", and continues:
"Because we are facing a challenge that has for so many people--and do so in a way that is so different from what we've done before--we have a look even earlier in the process. If people like what we have, we'll put it through our regular notice and comment process at a later date. "
Facebook's privacy Team provides numerous illustrations, by comparing its current privacy policy, to old school with its new proposed approach. This focuses on interactivity and other features such as.(Credit: Facebook)
The team also makes clear that the effort will involve the reorganization and the presentation of the privacy policy, significant changes to its actual content. "We have tried not to change the substance of the policy but, in our effort to simplify, we've added some new things that were elsewhere on the site (such as our customer) and have done some other clear concepts," says.
Facebook, of course, has been battered by complaints from high-profile advocates of privacy, including a Senator or two. Last year, the company that hosts the private data of many millions of members worldwide, he instituted major changes to user privacy controls in response to these concerns.
Still, the company has given some indication that it could continue its approach to "shoot first, ask questions later" to the site's privacy policy for changes. It has launched a tweak this January that potentially addresses and phone numbers of users available for app developers. That the change was hastily reconsidered after it touched off yet another kerfuffle on the practices of the company.
In his post about the redesign, the team speaks proudly of privacy "unconventional, innovative spirit of Facebook". True, the tool above to explain conceptually ads could break new ground in the world put to "read the fine print." (Indeed, if you're gonna go interactive, why not get Zynga involved--"marketingville" anyone?) But the true visionary Move here might just be outreach effort. Making an extra effort to solicit comments prior to a change of privacy? For Facebook, which could be the true innovation.
You can check out the redesign of potential and leave a comment for the team of Facebook's privacy policy here. And, as always, please leave a comment for CNET readers and staff below.
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