The New Facebook

OK, as you most likely heard by now, Facebook has updated their terms of service.  Good for them, bad for everyone else.

 

To summarize, Facebook owns anything and everything you put on their site.  Pictures, comments, applications, contact information, anything.  This exposes you more than ever as a user.

 

My reaction, I need to change how I use Facebook.  At first, and still, I use Facebook as a recruiting tool to find potential contacts within the industry for a particular search and to link to my open requirements.  As you would expect it also expanded into social networking and reconnecting with past friends and acquaintances.

 

Great, but what does this mean for my company.  Since I post a job to my corporate web site and then copy to Facebook, is Facebook now able to sweep in for action?  Is Facebook going to act as a medium for all companies?  This opens a Pandora’s Box of possibilities and an HR nightmare.  Companies will need to not only review and reconsider their social networking conduct but also make more specific note for this type of potential action.

 

In addition, I wrote in a previous blog about watching what you put on your Facebook page as companies do look at these pages for potential employment.  Now, you are more exposed than you were under the prior terms of use.  Will Facebook open itself up and partner with background checking companies for any questionable comments or pictures?

 

Lastly, as you may become concerned with this action, you need to not only watch what you do but what your friend’s post concerning you or linking you.  The ramifications long-term have now entered a very unstable point for Facebook.

 

Think before you act.