Dimming the "Beacon"

Facebook has seen the light - not necessarily from its Beacon. That's the program which allowed Facebook to pass on information about your online destinations and interests to advertisers unless you opted out of the program. It received a lot of complaints - and some went so far as to threaten legislative action.

Now, it appears, Facebook has changed the system to what it should have been in the first place: an opt-in, not opt-out opportunity.

Look, I have no problem with anyone who wants to invite targeted ads. I think I've made that position clear here in the past. But it has to be a decision made by the user/consumer - not the advertiser or the website - whether to allow that kind of advertising. It's as simple as opt-in vs. opt-out. Don't take me for granted - ask me.