After six months of tests with a select group, Facebook is rolling out a new search tool to the rest of the site?s U.S. users, making it easier to find people, places, photos and interests in your social circle.
But the company?s Graph Search could backfire because of privacy concerns sparked by the National Security Agency domestic surveillance scandal, analysts and social-media consultants said.
?It is every stalker?s fantasy tool,? said Max Wolff, senior analyst at Greencrest Capital. ?It could actually alienate people. People are extra-sensitive about privacy because of the NSA scandal. So the average user could jack up their privacy settings and decide to disclose less on Facebook, which could hurt advertising.?
Todd Van Hoosear, owner of Fresh Ground, a Cambridge social-media consulting firm, said he?d like to know what personal information of his might show up in a search done by someone he isn?t friends with.
?I want to have full control over my personal information,? Van Hoosear said. ?I think that would go a long way toward addressing concerns about privacy.?
As Graph Search rolls out more widely, people on Facebook will see a notice on their home page with a reminder about how to control what they share and with whom, said Facebook spokeswoman Kate Guarente. This follows a similar notice in December that highlighted new privacy tools to help people manage what they share on Facebook, Guarente said.
While there may be more work to be done in that area, Van Hoosear said, Facebook has made strides with other aspects of its search tool since the company announced it in January.
Graph Search has become faster and, like Google, more intuitive, offering suggestions in a pull-down menu as you type what you?re looking for. Unlike Google, however, Graph Search mines data in your social circle, allowing you to search for restaurants that your friends like in Cambridge, or search for photos of your significant other before you met.
Facebook is also working on getting mobile Graph Search ready, Guarente said.
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