The new Facebook anonymous login will limit what third-party apps learn about you, and for many users, this could eliminate a lot of user worry. You’ve seen them: The apps that offer to give you your daily horoscope or ask you which Marvel or Harry Potter character you are seem to have that button some people are reluctant to push.
That blue button that says “login with Facebook ” has elicited a lot of fears from people who don’t want Blip or Memegenerator to know any personal details about them. Mark Zuckerberg announced today that a new privacy update will eventually have third party apps asking what information you want to share with them, and offering an extensive one-time list.
At Facebook’s F8 developer conference , CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the Facebook anonymous login feature:
“Some people are scared of pressing [the ‘login with Facebook’] button. If you’re using an app that you don’t completely trust or you’re worried might spam your friends, you’re not going to give it a lot of permissions. Even if you don’t want an app to know who you are yet, you still want a streamlined process for signing in.”
Why is it so scary to log in with Facebook? Most people don’t want a separate website posting things for them. Hackers have been known to get a hold of user accounts that way and post some rather embarrassing (and often wrong) updates. In some cases the previous user forgets to log out and someone else posts something without realizing it. It’s scary enough when you know who’s doing it. Third party apps bring a whole new level of terror to some.
Also coming – when you log into an app using Facebook, you can choose line-by-line what you share with that app pic.twitter.com/oxJVH1IwB9
— TechRadar (@techradar) April 30, 2014
Some don’t seem to have a problem with it and are not worried, letting various radio or TV streaming services tell their friends they’re currently watching The Big Bang Theory or Game of Thrones , or listening to Adele or Skrillex on Spotify . It’s okay if you don’t mind your friends knowing these things, but others probably don’t want their entertainment choices shared with the world.
Facebook’s anonymous login will allow you to choose whether you want to share your name, your birthdate, or any other items that sound like an NSA report gone public. The downside for now is that the new permissions have only just been announced, and it will take time for them to become mainstream. It’s only in the testing phases for now.
If you’re squeamish about sharing personal information with another website, don’t breathe that sigh of relief just yet. Wait until it goes live and then give it a while.
In a few months, the Facebook anonymous login will give you the options you may be craving.
[image via cyberwarzone]
