Networking has become so much easier now, thanks to the internet. With social media sites and platforms, it has become unnervingly easy to seek out people online. All you need is a name, and following that, you can have access to most of their personal information!
However, Facebook is seemingly intent on changing that. In a recent announcement, the social networking site revealed that they will be removing information about your religious and political views, addresses and sexual orientation. According to a spokesperson, this is allegedly to make Facebook “easier to navigate and use”.
Consultant Matt Navarra was the first to discover the change. Apparently, he had received a notification regarding the new update which he then posted to his Twitter. “Facebook is removing religious views and ‘interested in’ info from profiles from 1st December 2020,” he reported.
The notification added that the rest of their users’ information will remain on their profiles. This includes their contact and basic info. But, users can leave some of these blank or make them private, if necessary. Users can also download a copy of their Facebook data if they wish to preserve it.
Needless to say, the reported change has left many confused. Some are wondering how the removal of such info will make Facebook “easier to navigate and use”. Others suspect an ulterior motive for the change. One even blatantly declared that “this is the worst thing they could’ve done“.
“This is honestly cruel and disrespectful that they won’t let me say what my religious views are,” the netizen added. “I may end up deleting my Facebook account and the app if I’m not allowed to share it anymore freely.” However, the company’s spokesperson reportedly added that users are still free to share such info elsewhere on Facebook.
The removal of these fields is supposedly part of Facebook’s efforts to streamline its platform. Other major social networking sites noticeably do not offer this information. Additionally, it does afford users a tad more privacy when it comes to sharing their lives online.
Well, that is certainly news from Facebook. We’re not too sure if it will affect many users. But, perhaps others may feel the effects. What do you guys think about the expected information removal?
Sources: Twitter, China Press, Engadget, Tech Crunch
