Reputation Advocate's Steven C. Wyer Explains New Facebook Obstacle Regarding Privacy

Online, October 20, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Facebook is a public company with major privacy issues, says Steven C. Wyer. Recently, users around the globe have poured complaints into the social media giant about concerns over supposed private messages now appearing in Facebook's new, and mandatory, timeline feature. But, is it an IT anomaly or something worse?

According to Wyer, what outraged Facebook users are calling a "total disregard" to their privacy is actually nothing of the sorts. They accuse Facebook of releasing private messages onto the Timeline profile wall that went into effect over a month ago. Now that users are taking time to browse the new timeline, many are finding they have said some things, publicly, that they now regret.

The new feature allows friends and even total strangers to browse an individual's Timeline, and search by date, says Steven C. Wyer. Posts are available from the time a user joined Facebook. For some, it's been nearly a decade. Think about how much can change in the course of just a few years. According to Wyer, the first generation of Facebookers is growing up. This means that their 16-year-old rant six years ago could embarrass the college graduate they have become.

Steven C. Wyer points out that this can cause damaging problems for those individuals searching for executive level employment, medical careers, and other high-profile positions. Those looking for love may also find it more difficult if they haven't always been on their best behavior online, too, cautions Wyer.

According to Steven C. Wyer, many potential employers are doing their own background checks on applicants and often their first stop on the information super highway is Facebook. An offhand remark about stealing money from a younger sibling, for instance, might cause a financial institute to pass over an otherwise qualified candidate for a position that deals with money. Steven C. Wyer says that newly acquainted love interests are doing the same.

Unfortunately, short of limiting access to posts beyond a certain date, Facebook can't do much to mask the questionable postings, cautions Steven C. Wyer.

Wyer says that there are several things that can be done to limit the amount of information accessible on Facebook. First, don't trust that because a profile was set to private that the timeline will be as invisible. The new timelines are a lot less user friendly for those wanting to remain under the radar. Now, individual posts must be flagged as public or private. Older posts must be manually removed for complete privacy. Steven C. Wyer also reminds those in clean up mode to check posts they are tagged in and remove themselves from the event or photo if it's not something with which they want their name associated.

Steven C. Wyer founded Reputation Advocate after his name was caught in a legal battle that left it marred with the debris from a number of false accusations. His professional and personal lives were affected negatively by simple results found in search engines. He decided to take his life - and his good name - back and now helps hundreds of people each year do the same. He is also the author of Violated Online, a chronicle of his experiences and a useful tool for persons looking for more information about online reputation management. Steven C. Wyer can be contacted through Reputation Advocate at www.reputationadvocate.com or at www.violatedonline.com