Facebook CEO announces revamped privacy settings

GALLERY

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg: 'We will keep listening'

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of the social networking site, said in a Washington Post op-ed that Facebook will try to simplify its privacy settings.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

By Cecilia Kang

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Facebook's founder presented new one-click options Wednesday to help subscribers protect their privacy, responding to a torrent of complaints that it had become far too hard to determine and control levels of protection.

 In a news conference, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg chalked up recent stumbles to growing pains. He said that engineers and designers had holed up in a conference room in their Palo Alto offices over the past three weeks to work on new privacy settings.

"We don't pretend that we are perfect," Zuckerberg said in an interview. "We try to build new things, hear feedback and respond with changes to that feedback all the time."
The changes, which will be introduced over the next few weeks, mean that one click can block any third-party sites from tapping into Facebook's goldmine of data on a user. A similar one-click option will allow a user to stop applications on Facebook from tapping user information unless told otherwise. And in a reversal of a confusing feature introduced in December, users will be presented with simpler options on who gets to see information.
Instead of being forced to customize every status update and photo for a "friend" or more broadly, users can put information such as employment history and vacation videos into buckets designated either for friends, friends of friends or everyone on the Internet. (Washington Post Co. Chairman Donald E. Graham is on Facebook's board.)
The changes come amid growing scrutiny from U.S. and European regulators over the privacy practices of Internet giants such as Facebook and Google. The European Union told Google, Yahoo and Microsofton Wednesday that their search engines don't comply with European privacy laws and told them to prove they are making user information anonymous.
Key U.S. lawmakers separately sent a letter to Google's chief executive asking how the company vacuumed up e-mail and other personal data from WiFi residential networks through its mapping program Street View.
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe L. Barton (R-Tex.) wrote to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt demanding answers to a dozen questions about what kinds of information Google collects through Street View and what it plans to do with that information.
  "As we have said before, this was a mistake. Google did nothing illegal, and we look forward to answering questions from these congressional leaders," Google said in a statement.
"There is certainly more awareness of Internet privacy, and a lot of that is also the recognition that technology is way, way ahead of regulation," said Miriam Wugmeister, a partner at the law firm Morrison & Foerster who specializes in privacy.
The recent wave of criticism of Facebook began in December, when users were caught off guard with new tools that they found confusing and that in some cases made user information more broadly available to other Web sites and anyone searching the Internet.
A program introduced last month, "instant personalization," shared user information -- such as an individual's preferences and those of their friends -- with other Web sites. Privacy groups filed complaints with regulators, and thousands of users joined sites pledging to quit Facebook.
"If you find these changes helpful, then we plan to keep this privacy framework for a long time," Zuckerberg said. "That means you won't need to worry about changes. (Believe me, we're probably happier about this than you are.)"
Zuckerberg blamed the problems on the growth of Facebook, which has expanded from tens of thousands of users to hundreds of millions. "It's been a big shift along the way, and it hasn't always been smooth," he said.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Facebook's announcement a good first step. He had criticized Facebook this month for sharing information to third-party sites and called for an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
"The effectiveness of the proposal will be judged by how prominently displayed and easily accessed the opt-out option is for the user," he said.

Madonna at work: Another day at the office as singer strips off for photoshoot

By MAIL ONLINE SHOWBIZ REPORTER
Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th May 2010

There aren't many 51-year-olds who would be happy stripping down to their underwear in front of an audience. Let alone striking a provocative pose with a younger man.

But after years of outrageous outfits it was just another day at the office for Madonna.

The singer was surrounded by a team of helpers as she shot the advertising shots for her new MDG sunglasses collection.

Just another day at the office: Madonna was perfectly relaxed as she was photographed to promote her new sunglasses range

The range, designed in collaboration with her close friends Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, is set to be launched this month.

 

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• Rihanna manages to outdo herself with raunchiest video yet as she goes naked for Rockstar 101

Madonna wore fishnet stockings, a black leotard and a crucifix for the advert.

But while the outfit may be racy, it pales in comparison to some of her other costumes.

Revealing outfit: Madonna wore a crucifix with fishnets and a leotard

Over the years Madonna has posed nude for her book Sex, and appeared on stage in front of thousands with her modesty barely preserved.

As well as her new sunglasses range, Madonna has been named as a possible contender for the vacant position as judge on American Idol.

Simon Cowell is set to leave the show following tonight's final, and his replacement has yet to be appointed.

New product: Madonna designed her MDG sunglasses range in collaboration with her close friends Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

A source at Fox, which produces the programme, said she would be a great option, along with Lindsay Lohan and Justin Timberlake.

'American Idol was our top show and a lot of that had to do with the love-hate relationship between Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell,' they told the Sun.

'Then Paula left and now Simon's going, too.

'We want a regular explosive dynamic between the judges.'

Younger model: The ever-youthful Madonna cavorted with a younger man

ExxonMobil votes down gay protections

ExxonMobil votes down gay protections

May 26th, 2010

Protesters at the ExxonMobil shareholders meeting earlier today.

Each year since Exxon and Mobil merged, a proposal has come before the shareholders to add sexual orientation to the company’s nondiscrimination policy. And the percentage of shareholders voting in favor of the proposal has increased each year — until this one.

Only 22 percent of ExxonMobil shareholders voted in favor of adding the protections during today’s annual meeting at the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas. Last year 40 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the proposal.

About two dozen LGBT protesters gathered outside the meeting with signs and bullhorns.

Richard Miller of the Dallas Peace Center was inside the meeting voting shares for a friend from Berkeley, Calif. He spoke in favor of the proposal and said a number of other shareholders, including a member of the Rockefeller family, spoke on behalf of environmental justice and sustainability issues. ExxonMobil is a direct descendant of the John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co.

For more, stay tuned to Instant Tea. For a full recap, see Friday’s Voice.

— David Taffet

Tags: Dallas Peace Center, Exxon, GetEQUAL, Rockefeller

Jesus Would Have Gone to Gay Weddings

by Michael A. Jones

It's been more than 2,000 years since a dude named Jesus walked around the Earth turning water into Merlot, but a group of Catholic priests in Argentina are making some waves for bringing up Jesus's name regarding the subject of gay marriage. And contrary to what folks might think, these priests aren't using the name Jesus to condemn gay marriage. They're using his name to suggest that gay marriage is totally compatible with religion.

The priests, responding to conservative religious claims that same-sex marriage can never be compatible with the Bible, bring up a pretty interesting point: Jesus never said anything about gay marriage. Nor did he really ever say anything about homosexuality, either.

"Jesus never set a closed doctrine on marriage," the priests say in their letter. "He simply followed the customs of his time and came to recognize and defend, in a special way, women in a social context (that was) sexist and patriarchal."

Uh-oh. It's one thing to portray Jesus as an anti-war radical. But to also call him a feminist and someone down with LGBT rights? If Elton John taught us anything, it's that anti-gay folks really, really hate that. Guess the truth hurts, though.

The priests continue in their letter, "We are Christians, Catholics and priests of the Catholic Church but we are opining on this issue at the antipodes of the view of the episcopate. We are in favor of equal rights, pro-family marriage of homosexuals and gay family."

That's some pretty bold rhetoric, and a direct challenge to institutional Church types in Argentina, who have bellowed loud and clear their opposition to same-sex marriage. In the wake of marriages that took place in the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego a few months back, not to mention a bill in Argentina's legislature that would legalize same-sex marriage, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires said"[Gay marriage] is a cultural and conceptual revolution with which the Church is not in agreement."

Looks like the Archbishop isn't speaking on behalf of his entire church now, is he?

Let the record show that yes, Jesus never did say anything about marriage being the sole domain of straight folks. As John Shore points out in this excellent Huffington Post piece on the subject, Jesus spent almost his entire life talking about loving your neighbors, and even loving your enemies, and avoiding the trap of using theology and religion to oppress others.

"Around Jesus you can whine, lie, shift your loyalties, be late, be greedy, be too ambitious, be stupid, be a coward, be a hypochondriac, constantly complain, fall asleep at every wrong moment — you can do nothing right, and it won't in the slightest way seem to offend him. But you put dogma ahead of empathy?" Shore asks. "Then ... yikes, man. Then you've got yourself a problem no one wants."

Putting dogma ahead of empathy. Yup, that sounds pretty much like what nearly every opponent of marriage equality does. Funny how that runs in complete contradiction to what are supposedly the tenets of their faith.

Gay Obama Heckler Arrested

Kip Williams, cofounder of the gay rights group GetEqual, was arrested afterheckling President Obamaat a Barbara Boxer fund-raiser in San Francisco Tuesday night.

Williams was objecting to the White House’s plan for repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which doesn’t mandate an immediate end to the military’s antigay policy. 

After looking to Boxer, the president responded, “If he wants to demonstrate, he should buy a ticket to a guy who doesn’t support his point of view and then you can yell as much as you want there.”

According to the blog Pam's House Blend, Williams told journalist Rex Wockner, "I was arrested, cited and released. Disturbing the peace. ... It was the first time I've done something like that by myself. ... I was close enough to see Obama's face. I worked so hard on his campaign and I still believe in him and I support him, and I wish I didn't have to have that exchange with him, and I saw the anger on his face when I started speaking. But I'm angry too, and I can't be silent."

See video of the incident and an interview with Williams at Towleroad.

By Advocate.com Editors

Finally Fedex Agrees to Offer DP Benefits

FedEx to Offer DP Benefits

By Advocate.com Editors

Shipping giant FedEx announced that it will begin offering health insurance benefits to employees’ same-sex domestic partners, The [Memphis, Tenn.] Commercial Appealreports.

The benefits will kick in for the Memphis-based company beginning January 1, 2011.

The move will most likely change FedEx’s ranking on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index—currently 70% out of a possible 100. Rival UPS, which has offered same-sex DP benefits since 2004, has a perfect 100% rating from HRC.

Download HRC's Corporate Equality Index here.

26 starving horses were taken to the Days Ends Farm

May 25, 2:34 PMPet Advocacy Examiner

CC-by-SA-2.0~George Donnelly   "Starving horse" Picture not from case 

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An anonymous caller called theGarrett Humane Society in Maryland to report unfavorable conditions on a farm. When they arrived they noticed there was about five acres of property that had over 40 animals living on it. It would not be so bad if it was dogs and cats but these 40 animals were horses, cattle and goats. These animals need more land than that to survive on. The property did not have much grass, if at all in some areas, no water or food and there were decomposing bodies of other animals scattered throughout the acreage.

The horses were extremely starved and one was in very bad condition. Some of these horses have had such little contact with humans that some actually displayed wild tendencies, which made it hard to inspect them. They were all haltered and tagged with a number to display who they were. Then the horses were evaluated on the body condition scale, which ranks animals from a one to a nine. One means extremely starving, five is healthy and nine is obese. The horses were loaded into trailers and hauled to the Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Woodbine in Howard County. There they are being evaluated and receiving the medical attention they are requiring. The Garrett State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch is waiting on the District Court to review the application to pursue prosecution in this case. The owners name has been withheld until this application process is completed and if there is a case or not.

Right now these horses may only have a number and no name but they now have a safe place to reside, plenty of hay to eat and fresh water to drink. Some of the horses are underweight a hundred pounds or so but there are others that are a few hundred pounds underweight and they are literally just skin and bones. One is number 26 and seems to have the will to live as he has decided he is the guardian over a six month old filly. When she is around him she lies on the ground to sleep and he stands over her watching out for her. He is the one that is the worst out of the 26 horses. Due to the condition of number 26, it could have been a month or so before he would have died of starvation if he had not been rescued. Most of the horses were only eating tree bark to stay alive. Even though many of these horses are too thin or emaciated, they all seemed to be bright eyed and very curious as to what was going on. 
 

Facebook to simplify privacy settings Wednesday

by Sharon Gaudin, Computerworld

Editor's Note: This story is excerpted from Computerworld. For more Mac coverage, visitComputerworld's Macintosh Knowledge Center.

One day after Facebook’s CEO admitted that the company had made mistakes with users” privacy, the social networking site confirmed it will roll out new, simplified privacy controls on Wednesday.

Noyes wouldn’t give any specifics on the tools being unveiled.Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said Tuesday that the new privacy tools are designed to make it easier for users to specify who can see their information, as well as whether Facebook can share the information with other Web sites.

In a column published Monday in the Washington Post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company has made mistakes in its continuing push to further enable social connections, and that Facebook hoped to soon introduce new, easier-to-use privacy settings to help users make sure their personal information isn't shared with third-party Websites.

“Our intention was to give you lots of granular controls; but that may not have been what many of you wanted,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We just missed the mark. In the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. We will also give you an easy way to turn off all third-party services. We are working hard to make these changes available as soon as possible.”

In the past month, there has been growing user unrest and anger that Facebook is playing too fast and loose with information about its users. Users also have been frustrated over what they call complicated and confusing privacy controls that they need to navigate to protect their personal data.

In April, Facebook unveiled a bevy of tools aimed at extending its reach by letting user information be shared with other Websites.

That move caused an uprising among users and prompted U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to write an open letter urging the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to set up privacy guidelines for all social networking sites, including Facebook and rivals Twitter and MySpace.

That led to a meeting between Facebook executives and members of Schumer’s staff.