Facebook has coded some special rules into Graph Search to make sure shady adults can’t stalk minors. Today Facebook clarified that searches that could identify kids under 18 by age or location won’t return any results for adults.
Facebook mentioned at launch that there were special protections for minors, but in advance of a wider rollout of graph search, it posted some details today on how it keeps kids safe. The Graph Search restrictions are extensions of existing barriers Facebook has erected placed between adults and children.
“On Facebook, many things teens are likely to do – such as adding information to their timelines or sharing status updates – can only be shared with a maximum of Friends of Friends. In addition, for certain searches that could help to identify a young person by age or by their location, results will only show to that person’s Friends, or Friends of Friends who are also between the age of 13-17.”
Facebook also laid out some Graph Search safety tips. People should check their Activity Log and About section to make sure they’re sharing the right info with the right people. And if they spot something sketchy on the social network, they should report it.
We haven’t heard much public outcry about Graph Search, but that’s because it’s only rolled out to a small percentage of users. Facebook’s smart enough to not freak out the whole world at once with an instant roll out, which also prevents backlash from snowballing. But once the roll out ramps up, expect to see some backlash, overblown privacy violation rumors, and people claiming they’re leaving Facebook for good.
Most people won’t, even if they say they will. Facebook is a central communication utility for a lot of people now. The question is whether Graph Search will have a more subtle chilling effect on sharing, or at least on sharing publicly.
Some people will be happy to share, and might even do so more frequently now that their posts could help friends find local businesses, vacations, or take a walk down memory lane. But others might get creeped out by strangers browsing their content, even stuff as innocuous as which dentist they prefer.
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