When will the tables turn for Facebook? The social network is getting even more backlash from privacy advocates demanding more control for users. As Facebook seeks growth and monetization, it’s uphill battle is looking to be filled with more obstacles than maybe even Mark Zuckerberg could have imagined.

The price of being too popular

Being the first to climb that mountain gives you a unique perspective once you’ve reached the top. It also gives everyone else a lesson in how to climb a mountain. Converting that winning drive into something rewarding for the long-haul is the position Facebook’s currently at. That just means the social network has yet another mountain to climb.

Right now, that mountain top looks like a rainbow-beaming pot of gold. Cashing in on all that information being shared throughout its network is plausible yet so far away. The red tape privacy advocates and angry users have thrown at Facebook is getting tangled and difficult to escape.

Search was the answer for Google, and it’s the answer for Facebook as well. But finding a way to appease privacy groups, users and shareholders is a tightrope walk that no one’s accomplished in the social realm. These growing pains for Facebook are getting tougher to bear, for users too. As the landscape of social media and commerce evolve, Facebook’s hearing it from all sides.

Eventually, someone will feel sorry for Facebook. This poor network that gave us all these free features is now getting a beat-down from special interest groups. They demand complete control over every piece of information that they so willingly shared just a year or so ago. The amount of resources Facebook will have to put towards full privacy customization is a hole it dug for itself. And just as MySpace did, the network will be forced to return to its core competency: privacy.

Isn’t Facebook already private?

It seems that’s all Facebook is doing right now, given the changes Zuckerberg has pushed out these past few months. Yet, it’s never enough. Now that Facebook and other social media outlets have begun to show their true monetization colors, consumers are wary of this new development, just as they were with online banking. Coaxing users through this process is the job Facebook signed up for. Isn’t that what Zuckerberg has been saying all along?

Every day, Facebook’s goal towards becoming a portal for the majority of your online activity is realized a bit more. Personalized site experiences are increasingly incorporating business content and their crusades, hoping each step is recognized by consumers as a needed service.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has already noted how email is on its way out the door at a conference yesterday, pointing out Facebook’s rising relevance over email. This is important because of Facebook’s ability to become that central check-in point for younger consumers. That will give Facebook more fodder for generating revenue around this personalized social experience.