Facebook has been trying very hard to communicate to all of the internet that the new defaults are something that will benefit all of us and the internet as a whole. The founder CEO, Mark Zuckerberg does not spare any opportunity to remind us that he wants to make the world a more open place.
For a company that wants its users to open up and share everything, you'd assume that Facebook's senior executives would practice what they preach. But reality is far from that assumption.
In fact, the most laughable aspect in all of this is that Elliot Schrage, Facebook's VP Global Communications, Marketing and Public Policy, who spent a lot of time recently explaining why it is good to share to disgruntled users, has the most locked down profiles on the Facebook executive team.
Even Zuckerberg's profile itself shares very little about himself.
Below is a list of the Facebook exec list from their website, with the details about their access levels and what they share. It is rather self explanatory and it does not paint a really good picture of the company. Interestingly, for an 'open' company, you can't browse Facebook's network if you don't have a Facebook email ID.
Name | Designation | Sharing Level/Friending access | Login Limited | Access Level | On Google? | Notes |
Mark Zuckerberg | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Mark only shares some of his profile information with everyone. | Yes | Restricted | Yes | Can't access friends list |
Christopher Cox | VP of Product | Chris only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Chris, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Restricted | Yes | Can't access friends list |
David Ebersman | Chief Financial Officer | David only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know David, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Restricted | Yes | |
David Fischer | VP of Advertising and Global Operations | David only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know David, add him as a friend. | Yes | Locked down | No | Can't access friends list |
Lori Goler | VP of Human Resources and Recruiting | Lori only shares some of her profile information with everyone. If you know Lori, send her a message or add her as a friend. | Yes | Restricted | Yes | Almost certainly not the right person |
Jonathan Heiliger | VP of Technical Operations | Jonathan only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Jonathan, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Locked Down | Yes | Can't access friends list |
Mike Murphy | VP of Global Sales | Mike only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Mike, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Restricted | Yes | Can't access friends list |
Dan Rose | VP of Partnerships and Platform Marketing | Yes | Open for FB | Yes | The most open Facebook exec. Have common friends. Could be a factor. | |
Sheryl Sandberg |
Chief Operating Officer | Sheryl only shares some of her profile information with everyone. If you know Sheryl, send her a message or add her as a friend. | Yes | Mostly open | Yes | |
Chamath Palihapitiya | VP of Growth, Mobile and International | Chamath only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Chamath, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Mostly open | Yes | |
Elliot Schrage | VP of Global Communications, Marketing and Public Policy | Elliot only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Elliot, send him a message or add him as a friend. | Yes | Locked Down | No | Most locked-down FB exec |
Ted Ullyot | VP and General Counsel | Ted only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Ted, add him as a friend. | Yes | Restricted | No | Can't access friends list |
Mike Schroepfer | VP of Engineering | Mike only shares some of his profile information with everyone. | Yes | Restricted | Yes |
Yes, it is also a demonstration of the fact that people can keep things private if they want on Facebook. but if the future of the world is in sharing everything and the notion of privacy is dead, then why is it that there is only about one or two of the senior management team who have reasonably open profiles on Facebook?
This has always been the problem with the changes the company has brought about in the recent years – that they are quite often dishonest and misrepresent facts. As a company Facebook has every right to behave the way they want to. For a user it is a privilege to be on the platform and use it and not a right.
But, that does not mean that it is okay to do what they are doing now.