Zuckerberg speaks...

The CEO of Facebook has spoken about all the recent claims regarding the invasion of privacy. I will post articles below where this can be read, but the principles in which Facebook operates are as follows:

-- You have control over how your information is shared.

-- We do not share your personal information with people or services you don't want.

-- We do not give advertisers access to your personal information.

-- We do not and never will sell any of your information to anyone.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/23/AR2010052303828.html

Basically what he says is that how much info that is shared on Facebook is up to the users. He wants everyone to share more because it'll better connect the world. They will make the privacy controls easier so that the user can opt-out of what information will be shared, but not that they will keep form sharing our info. He also makes no apologies, or anything that can be construed as an apology.

Here's another article based on what Zuckerberg originally wrote:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/zuckerberg-speaks/ and this is talked about on CNET Buzz Out Loud episode 1234.

CNet Buzz Out Loud also talks about it in episode 1237, that the default settings will be to share everything. Users will be in control, based on their privacy settings, what is shared and what is private.

http://searchengineland.com/facebooks-new-simple-privacy-settings-still-pretty-complex-42998

http://valleywag.gawker.com/5548496/facebooks-new-privacy-controls-the-good-and-the-shameful

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20006054-36.html?tag=mncol;txt

Facebook violates the privacy of its users...

Recently Facebook was found to have been violating the rights of privacy entitled to its users. Users’ user id’s were being sent to advertisers when a user clicked on an advertisement. This is a major violation of privacy which many people have been worried about, anda lot of users have been threatening to quit (boycott) Facebook until Facebook’s policies regarding their security of their users’ privacy changes for more protection to users.

Facebook did make the changes with the way the URL is coded when people click on ads so that their user id isn't sent anymore, but that this change occurred after the Wall Street Journal called them about it. It is a big deal, but it doesn't sound like Facebook itself was giving out that much information. All the information that people get depends on how much you want to put in your profile. If you don't feel it's very safe and don't want everyone knowing your phone number than don't put it on there. It is obviously not that safe to reveal all of your personal info on any internet published web page. After all, even your personal email isn't 100% safe anymore, so users should be more cautious with what information they provide online, especially to a public profile like Facebook.
Other articles concerning the issue can be found here:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/latest-facebook-blunder-secret-data-sharing-with-advertisers.ars

http://gigaom.com/2010/05/21/for-facebook-the-privacy-snowball-just-keeps-on-rolling/

Regarding Facebook, there are some specific option settings that a user can change in order to protect privacy:

Click "account" at top of home page. Select "account settings". From there click the "Facebook ads tab". Then select "no one" in both drop down menus and click "save". This will prevent 3rd party ads from sharing your information and actions. Go back to "account" link on home page. This time select "privacy settings". Select "applications and websites". Click on "edit settings" next to "instant personalization pilot program". Uncheck the box giving them permission to personalize their features and ads with your public info. Always check privacy settings often because they do change every time Facebook implements a new application.