Facebook’s privacy compared to Google +

The red cups in the tagged photos, the changed relationship statuses, the indecency of the wall posts; just how private is your personal life on social networking sites? Google Plus and Facebook have attempted to defend themselves in response to this question.

"People have gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview with TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. "The social norm is just something that has evolved over time."

Zuckerberg claims that Facebook is more transparent about the information it gathers from users, whereas Google Plus collects the information without users' knowledge. However, Zuckerberg has this one wrong.

Google Plus actually enables users to alter their settings with one click from the home screen and allows them to remove their posts, photos, profile and more.

Facebook, on the other hand, makes navigating settings more difficult. Although both networks provide the option to delete the information that users do not want shared with the entire Facebook public, Google Plus is much more clear about how to manage settings and delete such information.

According to San Jose Mercury News, Google Plus users are two to three times more likely to share privately with one of their Circles than to post publicly. This claim overshadows Zuckerberg's argument that Facebook is a more private social network.

Facebook sees Google Plus as an imminent threat to its success and has recently adjusted its privacy settings. Facebook now has "Friends Lists" so that users can control who sees what they post. Someone who is interested in reading updates from a person they are not friends with can click the "Subscribe" button which allows them to read public posts.

These changes in Facebook do not reflect the initial intentions of this social network. From the start, Zuckerberg advocated for the highest privacy protection by ensuring that visibility by "creepers" (people you do not know) was not an issue.

This way, users would be more willing to share information with their small network of friends. Now, with over 500 million people subscribed to Facebook, such a "small network" is exposed and publicly viewable.

In an interview with readwriteweb.com, Facebook Director of Public Policy Barry Schnitt said, "It's time for increased page views and advertising revenue, too."

This makes one wonder if Facebook is changing its dynamics to go along with the changing "social norms" that Zuckerberg speaks of, or if it is just another manipulative technique to wield control of the Internet and users.

Dr. Gina Lew, a Communication Studies professor at USD, has worked as a news anchor and warns her students about posting too much online.

"Everything you put out there can be recaptured. Once it goes out there, it's out there forever," Lew said.

Google Plus and Facebook have privacy settings, but that doesn't mean information can't be accessed once it's put in cyberspace.

Telemarketers have access to personal information, and companies can see what users "like" in order to target users who they think will buy their products. These so-called friends can see contact information, mutual friends, photos and everything else that is made available.

Of course, much of what users put out is at their own discretion. Accepting a friend request means much more than letting that one person access personal information, but opens up that information to a whole network of people.

Users should be cautious of what they put up on Facebook or Google Plus. This is especially important for college students, who are on the verge of entering the professional world upon graduation.

Jeopardizing a job for the sake of having a seductive profile picture isn't worth it. Employers are constantly researching and doing background checks on potential employees and even current employees.

Who you are online should reflect who you are offline. Don't take the risk; delete the red cups and watch what you post online.