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In my never ending quest to become more web savvy, I installed Facebook mobile. The application links your social networking account with your cell phone. It seemed like a great way to upload pictures straight from my phone for my pals to see. Shortly after I downloaded the program, my friend, and Facebook friend, Patrick O'Malley emailed me and said, "are you crazy, why would you put your cell phone number on your profile?!"
I read his email and was confused. Huh? I never would have put my number up on the internet! I stopped multi-tasking and read his email again. Yup, that's what he said, my phone number was up on Facebook. I logged on the website and Patrick was right! I was stunned because I never put it in my profile. I wondered how in the heck did it get there? It was also entered in a way that was very "computery". It said: 16175551212. I never would have put a "1" in front of my area code if I entered my number. I also would have put a hyphen between the area code, prefix and number. This was weird!
If you do opt to enter your number, Facebook asks you to put a "1" in front of the area code. Still, I never, ever would put my cell phone number in my profile.
Wracking my brain I tried to figure out how it could have happened. Then I remembered recently I downloaded Facebook mobile. That is the only way I could think that Facebook got my cell phone number. I emailed Patrick, thanked him and shared my theory. Patrick also happens to be an online networking guru who is all knowing about social websites, but this situation even surprised him. "Many people have privacy concerns about the Internet and social networking, and this just fortifies their fears. Facebook should have addressed this by clearly giving each user the option to either display or not display their phone number in the Info section of their Profile."
Patrick immediately posted this info on his Facebook page. Soon about eight of his other Facebook friends started responding saying it happened to them and they were shocked.
Andrea Ellis of Boston, said she never entered her phone number into Facebook when she originally signed up for the website. She later installed Facebook mobile and never gave it a second thought. After she read Patrick's article she checked her "info" page and was dismayed to see her cell number was entered in the same computery way on her profile. She had no idea. "It's not often you check out your own info section in Facebook."
Ellis immediately tried to figure out how to delete her number. "It's scary to think that my cell phone number was given out."
You can adjust your profile privacy settings, which ranges from letting anyone who finds you on Facebook read your info to only allowing people you accept as your "friend" access it. But if you specifically did not intend to list your number and you have no idea it's even been posted, you wouldn't know to change your privacy settings, or remove your number.
I tried asking Facebook what was up with this application. The website is often criticized for gobbling up people's personal info and no one knows where it goes, perhaps into some cyberspace black hole? The only media contact medium option is email. I've emailed them multiple times, stating my deadline was ASAP and still have not heard back. Facebook, I'm waiting. We're all waiting to hear what the deal is here. By the way, please email me back, because I removed my number from my Facebook profile.
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