Do you ever think about what you’re agreeing to when you sign up for any online account? It’s almost a given that 99% of netizens never read the terms of service or privacy policy when they sign up for online services, but does this mean they forfeit the right to be angry at said services when they share their information with advertisers?

It’s a matter of debate, but for now this is the defense that Facebook is using in the hope that its users won’t complain about why their information is being shared with advertisers and other service providers.  The social giant notes that some terms or clauses in its Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities may be confusing, and so its just proposed some changes to make things crystal clear to users – meaning they’ll be able to understand exactly what they’ve signed up for.

Facebook reiterated that its services are free but if your service provider charges you for data usage or text messages used to communicate in Facebook, the social media giant can’t be held to blame.

As for your personal information, the minute you sign up for Facebook, you willingly give it the right to use your personal information in any way it pleases – even if you restrict your settings.

“You give us permission to use your name, and profile picture, content, and information in connection with commercial, sponsored, or related that content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us, subject to the limits you place. This means, for example, that you permit a business or other entity to pay us to display your name and/or profile picture with your content or information, without any compensation to you. If you have selected a specific audience for your content or information, we will respect your choice when we use it,” the proposed Facebook changes read.

Information collected from users includes their IP address, mobile number, and their email address – all of this is needed to sign up for an account.  In addition to these details, some information from the people users interact with in or outside of Facebook will also acquired upon signing up.

With this information, Facebook is able to recommend friends, brands, suggest Tags and pages to you:

“We receive data from or about the computer, mobile phone, or other devices you use to install Facebook apps or to access Facebook, including when multiple users log in from the same device. This may include network and communication information, such as your IP address or mobile phone number, and other information about things like your internet service, operating system, location, the type (including identifiers) of the device or browser you use, or the pages you visit. For example, we may get your GPS or other location information so we can tell you if any of your friends are nearby, or we could request device information to improve how our apps work on your device.”

Facebook’s main source of revenue is advertising so it’s doing everything it can to get detailed info from its users.  If it didn’t rely on ads, it would have to charge users for using its service.

If you think about it, Facebook is like Google in so many ways.  It acquires information from users the moment they sign up for its services, and everything they do on the website is monitored.  Of course, they offer various privacy options, but if you’re not aware that you’re being tracked, you probably don’t know how to restrict your profile.

Facebook’s new proposal is not yet set in stone, which means that it can still be revised based on the feedback of Facebook users.  The company says that users have seven days to voice their concerns or support regarding the changes.

To read Facebook’s proposed changes you can see them here, here, and here.