Analysis: Facebook is gambling with new privacy measures

Facebook has gambled on quelling future protests

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg sounded nervous as he began his press conference today, and well he might.

The social network has been getting a lot of flack of late, and today's event was set up at short notice to calm things down.

Facebook's users have become increasingly confused and concerned about the company's management of their data.

Fears over invasions of privacy have abounded, and occasionally been justified, and some alarming statements on what our expectations of personal privacy should be have been attributed to Zuckerberg recently.

As he pointed out today, if even a few per cent of Facebook's 400 million users raise a ruckus that's still a population the size of New York State and that gets attention.

Facebook has had protestors outside its offices and a tsunami of electronic abuse of late, much of it on its own web site.

The online disturbances have also aroused political protests, most notably from Senator Chuck Schumer, who asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into the row, and with the European Union. Consumer groups have also protested on the issue. Such trouble makes investors nervous.

"It is vitally important that safeguards are in place that provide users with control over their personal information to ensure they don't receive unwanted solicitations," said Schumer.

"At the same time, social networking sites need to provide easy to understand disclosures to users on how information they submit is being shared."

However, today's press conference showed that Facebook is attempting to put a lid on the criticism with an interesting strategy.

Firstly, it is simplifying the whole privacy interface with a well-designed user interface and an easy system for clarifying who gets to see what. There will no doubt still be protests, and the company is expecting it, but the changes will probably satisfy most users.

The alterations are to be introduced gradually, partly because they are not fully finished but also because a staggered roll-out will allow Facebook to fix any flaws as and when they become apparent. It also has the side benefit of not giving a specific date for protestors to marshal against.

However, Zuckerberg repeatedly stated that this will be the last change on the privacy front for a long time.

The company is drawing a line in the sand and saying: this far and no further. Of course, there's a little wiggle room built in, but Facebook will resist any future changes no matter what the outcome.