Those words have been uttered and once again ‘internet privacy’ is being debated across the media. It can be a bit boring for those who use social sites every day for their jobs, like myself with a role within an integrated PR, search and social media agency. However, because there was such a commotion last week, in the UK at least, following comments made by Google’s Eric Schmidt I was compelled to check my Facebook settings... just in case.

Facebook’s privacy settings are pretty clear and not at all difficult to change. Nevertheless, Facebook could do more and change the recommended, default settings to ensure every element of a person’s profile can only be seen by friends. Currently, posts, including status updates and photos, family, relationships, interested in and looking for, bio and favourite quotations and website are the sections that are automatically public pieces of information. Friends of friends can see users’ religious and political views, birthday, tagged photos and videos and wall posts by friends. My settings are customised and they can only be seen by friends - but is this even enough?

I wrote a paper over two years ago about identity and narrative within Facebook, entitled Who Are You? What’s Your Story? and the arguments remain the same. Do users really know who their ‘friends’ are? People who they went to school with but haven’t spoken to, online or otherwise, in twenty years? Friends of friends they met on a drunken night out but don’t really know anything about then except their first name? For my study I literally Facebook stalked a range of people for two weeks and made conclusions about their identities and life narratives. When I had finished and told my subjects what I’d been doing, those who I was not at all close to were, somewhat expectedly, not happy about it – one even blocked me for a time. It just goes to show, privacy and what you want people to glean from your social media activity starts at home, with friends... or should that be ‘friends’?

Facebook users regularly announce when they’re going on holiday, leaving their houses primed for burglary. With the launch of Facebook Places, people will now be offering everyone real time information about where they are, or just as dangerous, where they’re not. What people buy, in essence how rich they are, workplace information, email addresses, political views and let’s not get started on photos of and information about their children are also commonplace on profiles. If an old friend who you vaguely remembered from twenty years ago came up to you in the street and asked for all of these details you’d surely say no, so why do we offer it so freely online?

Everyone’s heard a story in the media or through a viral about someone who got sacked for saying the wrong thing on Facebook or having an inappropriate photo posted. I almost didn’t get my current role because my profile picture at the time was of me making a rude gesture towards the camera. What is funny and harmless to one person is reckless and offensive to someone else - everybody needs to check themselves occasionally. Luckily for me, sense of humour prevailed on this occasion.

So, Facebook users of the world, unless you have a business facing profile or use the platform solely for online PR purposes I implore you firstly to log in to your account and check whether your settings are customised or default. Right now. It’s not really a question of what you’ve got to hide, it’s why would you want everyone in the world to see things like your sexual preference, pictures of you on the beach or who you pray or don’t pray to.

Secondly, it may take a while but go through your friend list and just ask yourself if you want or need all those people to know the information you share. You might feel embarrassed to unfriend them but, really? What’s most important? Lastly, and for forever and ever, just use your brain a little bit more when you use Facebook, especially when it comes to things like location. It’s not just what you perceive, it’s how others interpret your actions and if in doubt, just don’t post it.