Protect the Willfully Ignorant

Facebook's fine-tuned privacy controls have evolved over several episodes of user outcry since the network's 2004 launch. Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded swiftly to protest in 2006 over the News Feed and Mini-Feed features, which broadcast user activity. He reports "coding nonstop for two days" to create even more nuanced privacy settings.

More choice, though, is not always a good thing. CMU's George Loewenstein has studied the adverse effects of choices that "require expertise that people lack [and] introduce new risks when people want security." He thinks it's possible to strike a balance between too little choice and too much. Car manufacturers, he points out, let consumers pick engine sizes, color and the fabric on the seats, but not the design of the seat belt. "Consumers lack expertise about seat-belt design and don't want to invest time learning about it," he writes. Rather than let people figure out the optimal seat belt for themselves, experts pick a standard.

When consumers lack the expertise and clairvoyance to make optimal decisions, responsibility lies with the provider. Networks need to implement stringent default privacy settings, letting users opt into greater exposure from a highly contained circle of contacts, rather than tossing them into the teeming field and letting them build walls for themselves. We'll be grateful for the built-in constraints.

© 2008