Facebook, beacon, mark zuckerberg, online advertising, top, your privacy is an illusion

Mark Zuckerberg issues the inevitable apology

Mark Zuckerberg has apologized for the fiasco over Beacon, Facebook's controversial advertising system which reports users' activities across the Web to their friends. It turns out that, all these years later, he still values the trust of Facebook users. Of course, he has to remind us that trust is Facebook's highest regard every time he oversteps that trust. Maybe someone should remind the youthful CEO of his own views before he introduces a new feature which breaks that trust.

Zuckerberg says Facebook will add a setting so users can completely block the sharing of purchases made at third-party sites. This comes in addition to the opt-in changes already made. For some, the important thing is the apology itself. And for millions of Facebook users who haven't even heard of Beacon? They'll just keep on poking each other.

10:53 AM on Wed Dec 5 2007
By Tim Faulkner
1,733 views
9 comments

Comments

sggrf at 11:30 AM on 12/05/07
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Glad to see Mark do this but wouldn't have happened if there was an experienced CEO in place. It makes me wonder and should also make his investors wonder.
marc1 at 11:43 AM on 12/05/07
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No more young CEOs that can't even see the obious problems coming. When you are 25 you have no idea of many things. I hope the valley learns from this indicators and start listening to the experience. Young to me is someone in their 30s capable to talk over experiences...not someone who is predicting based on theory not practice! If this persist we are going to built week technology that lacks of scalable vision. soo bad!
Realworld at 12:10 PM on 12/05/07
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This global opt-out undercuts Beacon's potential. That's why it took so long for this to happen. MZ was betting all the marbles on this strategy and now he's been "CEO bitch" slapped back to the drawing board. Look for the next media event when he comes here to announce that advertising changes twice every hundred years.
Figaro at 12:54 PM on 12/05/07
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And facebook is still worth $15b? Hehehe... not even $5b after these last few debacles. They need to replace Zuckerberg ASAP! He's inexperienced, doesn't know how little he really knows and that's the most dangerous combo.

Other than that MS check they get each month for doing nothing, they have no real revenue. If they're serious about the valuation and want to keep it above $10b, the board needs to act fast and find a real CEO.
scalawag at 01:03 PM on 12/05/07
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Connectedness Index: 41
Brought to you by Acura TSX

@Figaro: Who would you recommend as a new CEO?
bgj at 02:18 PM on 12/05/07
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Bill G.
Automatt at 03:24 PM on 12/05/07
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So what if he apologizes [in a blog post, which is weak] -- It's still opt-out, and the affiliate companies still send their info to FB about you, you just don't see it.
GeneralChaos at 05:24 PM on 12/05/07
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FLUSH ZUCKERTURD.

PLEASE FLUSH TWICE. It's a long way to MySpace ...
$Image of Oh No I Di\'n\'t.$ Oh No I Di'n't. at 03:22 PM on 12/06/07
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How the hell CAN'T he see these things coming? I mean, he's the same age as his target demographic. Really, it's not that hard to be like, "Hey, my friends probably would hate this". Does he ever talk to other people?