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Zuckerburg writes to 350 million users

Many of us saw the letter when we logged on to Facebook last week regarding changes to the site.

Mark Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, wrote an open letter to all members of Facebook informing users of upcoming changes. He informed more than 350 million users that networks were no longer the best way to control privacy settings. Facebook’s new changes will remove regional networks and create a simpler model for privacy control where users can set specific guidelines as to who can see their information.

It is evident that Zuckerburg has communicated effectively with many of the users through his letter. More than 47,900 people have indicated by saying they “like” his letter, and more than 41,400 people have posted comments on his letter. Communication is key when it comes to social media and delivering messages, and Zuckerburg has done a good job notifying users of changes ahead of time.

In the open letter, Zuckerburg wrote, “Almost 50 percent of all Facebook users are members of regional networks, so this is an important issue for us. If we can build a better system, then more than 100 million people will have even more control of their information.”

Zuckerburg also wrote that networks worked well when Facebook was mostly used by students, since it made sense that a student might want to share content with their fellow students.

As Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and Zuckerburg concluded that this is no longer the best way for the users to control their privacy.

Facebook users will soon be presented with a revised privacy control panel. Users will then be able to review and update their privacy settings. Changes to the site will make it easier for the 350 million users to control who sees their photos, personal information and profiles.

Zuckerburg wrote, “We’ve worked hard to build controls that we think will be better for you, but we also understand that everyone’s needs are different.”

“It has been a great year for making the world more open and connected,” Zuckerburg wrote. “Thanks for being a part of making Facebook what it is today.”

Facebook has promised better privacy for all of its users and it will be interesting to see how everyone responds to upcoming changes on the site.

By Sara Sanderson

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