Facebook.com, the number-two social networking site in the United States behind MySpace.com, plans to add a new privacy option to its webpages that will enable people to control what information is made available to other users via new features added to the site on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.The changes involved the addition of a “news feed” and a “mini feed,” which made it simpler for Facebook users to find information about other users’ relationship status and political preferences. The modifications were met with the protests of hundreds of thousands of unhappy users who weren’t pleased that their personal information was more readily available on the site. By Wednesday night, some half a million Facebook users signed a petition requesting the removal of the news feed feature, which also notifies users any time a friend modifies their page.Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook will add the new privacy option in response to the massive wave of negative user feedback it received, according to the Journal, and it will allow Facebook users to decide which personal information is made available via the new feeds. Users will now be able to edit out any information about their relationship status, but if they elect to keep their political preferences available, other users will still be able to access that information, the Journal reports. The site also wants to soon allow its users to block all personal information from being displayed via the recently added feeds, according to the Journal.Facebook spokeswoman Melanie Deitch said the modifications sparked the largest quantity of negative feedback the site has ever received in response to features being added, and the incident taught the firm to vet new additions with users before going live on the entire site, the Journal reports. “This was a big shock for people,” Deitch said, according to the Journal. “It’s like waking up in the morning and realizing there’s a big change to how your e-mail works.”Facebook currently boasts roughly 9.5 million users, many of whom are—or were recently—college students, due to the fact that until this year it allowed only people with “.edu” e-mail addresses to register for membership. Related Link:Facebook Modifications Spark Privacy ProtestsKeep checking in at our CSO Security Feed page for updated news coverage.-Compiled by Al Sacco Related content news analysis DHS unveils one common platform for reporting cyber incidents Ahead of CISA cyber incident reporting regulations, DHS issued a report on harmonizing 52 cyber incident reporting requirements, presenting a model common reporting platform that could encompass them all. By Cynthia Brumfield Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Regulation Regulation Regulation news Chinese state actors behind espionage attacks on Southeast Asian government The distinct groups of activities formed three different clusters, each attributed to a specific APT group. By Shweta Sharma Sep 25, 2023 4 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks feature How to pick the best endpoint detection and response solution EDR software has emerged as one of the preeminent tools in the CISO’s arsenal. Here’s what to look for and what to avoid when choosing EDR software. By Linda Rosencrance Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Intrusion Detection Software Security Monitoring Software Data and Information Security feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Data and Information Security IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe