Lord Richard Allan and Facebook

In January 2012, Facebook director Lord Allan claimed that Facebook is protected by its own users.

Read the article and watch his speech on the BBC.

Later, in April 2012, he visited a bunch of Primary students at the school library of IE Cañada Blanch in London and talked to them about several issues regarding Facebook.

Watch the video below.

Compare both speeches and find out similarities and differences about the language he used.

Then, leave your comments about what you think of his talk, what aspects about Facebook you already knew before listening to him, which ones you have learned about, how you liked his talk and any other opinions you may care to share with him.

Your comments and impressions will reach Lord Allan soon!

Here is what has called Mauge's attention:

Here are two questions to Lord Allan, by Vicky:


I know that it doesn’t enable anyone to access private user information without explicit user consent. However, you usually send lots of e-mails to people who don’t want to be a facebook member in order to convince them to sign up for a facebook account. Don't you think that they could feel upset with your company? 


I have another question: 

On facebook, I can say if I like something, share it and write comments. However, why can't  I choose "I don't like"?

Here are Elena's impressions:


Facebook has turned into such a powerful and quick tool to spread opinions, that many users have found an easy way to make comments discrediting people. For instance, some Facebook radio-channels are used by people under false identities to slander politicians, union members and very well-known people in local areas. Has Facebook thought about having any kind of control of these bad-behaviors in order to prevent a damage that, otherwise, will remain beyond a possible judgment?


Here are Merche's viewpoints:

I don’t know much about social networking communities. Though I unsuccessfully try to make my daughter understand that more than 500 photos shared with her online friends is too much for someone her age. That she is probably showing things that in the future may no longer reflect her anymore. And I try to warm her that somebody could use any information about her to harm her. Nevertheless she keeps talking about privacy rules, as if she knew everything.

 My daughter is a teenager and she feels tremendously attracted to Facebook because of its addictive appeal. Although she isn’t old enough to have a Facebook account, most of her friends have one. Therefore they had to lie about their identity in order to set an account. It is not only possible, but especially common among youngsters to set up fake accounts. Sometimes they do it just to be able to set an account on Facebook, some other times just to fool their friends on social grounds.

 Moreover, as far as I know some companies use fake business accounts to promote their products. And some people set up fake accounts in order to grow the visibility of certain fan pages. Apart from the potential danger that people who are not happy with their own identity and they create a second identity online, so the people who get into a relationship with them may eventually get hurt.

Although lately Facebook has started actions to delete fake accounts on the social networking website, and the site disables an account it deems fake, they don’t really have a system to verify every single account.

In my opinion, as regards this matter of privacy, Facebook cunningly turned the discussion over choice and informed consent. But the debate is unfolding because people are being duped, tricked and even coerced and confused into doing things without taking the consequences into consideration.

I think we should be realistic and recognize that the better protection for users is to have more information about the consequences of sharing personal information. It is important for young people to know about other people’s complaints. So in my opinion a national education campaign on this matter should be launched.