In an apparent effort to appease unsatisfied users, Facebook plans to make its privacy settings easier to access and understand. The social network announced today it will add several revisions to its privacy controls, and begin rolling them out during the next few weeks to the next year, marking the most extensive change to privacy controls in the past 15 months.

One of the biggest and most welcome changes will be a new “privacy shortcuts” section that will be appear as small lock icon on the top right-hand side of users’ news feeds. When the icon is clicked, a drop-down box will appear that will provide access to many privacy-related FAQs.

Facebook will also include an update that allows users to review any publicly accessible photos in which they are identified, complete with information on how to request a photo be removed. The change is designed primarily to allow users to flag old pictures that may no longer accommodate their lifestyle. Since many of Facebook’s users have grown up as the company has matured, a photo from a 2003 college kegger may not be appropriate for a 30-year-old mother of two. Although Facebook is unlikely to remove a photo, the feature will allow users to identify tagged photos and ask one another to take them down.

In the near future, Facebook also intends to create a Privacy education page, placed at the top of users’ news feeds.

[Image via joe.ross/Flickr]

Samantha Lile

Samantha Lile is a 2002 Missouri State University graduate of journalism and mass media. She has served as a reporter and editor for various newspapers throughout her journalism career. She made the leap into writing full-time after working for a major financial institution since 2000.

Because of her banking background, Samantha is knowledgeable in finance reporting, but is also strong in commentaries, personal profiles, youth studies, horticulture, history and entertainment-related works.

Samantha lives in Ozark, Mo. with her husband of nine years, four dogs and two cats.

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