Facebook Sent out Vote Notifications

After the recent discussions, the social network has decided to try and calm the debates surrounding its privacy policy. Facebook gives its members a chance to vote on how they want the website to be governed.

Facebook has opened the polls in order to give its members the chance to vote on a few of proposed policy changes as to how the website is run. The changes include the guidelines on how to handle members’ information, and – ironically enough – a plan to get rid of the Facebook’s policy to allow members vote in the first place.

In fact, the proposed votes were a result of a backlash after Elliot Schrage, Vice President, Communications, Public Policy and Marketing, introduced a few changes to the social network’s policy last week.


At the time Schrage told Facebook members that the service would be making updates to the policies that governed the website. These were the Data Use Policy and the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. The first document describes how Facebook collects and uses data when members use Facebook, while the second one explained the terms regulating the use of services.

Elliot Schrage explained that Facebook was considering withdrawing the voting right of the members and replacing it with a more meaningful feedback and engagement instrument. There were more than 20,000 comments on the post, with many users opposing their right to vote being taken away. However, this was unlikely to change the mind of the company. Facebook announced that an enormous 300 million must vote against the changes, but the site is seemingly banking on low figures, with only 10% having voted thus far. As for me, I also received a notification on e-mail. But when I tried to vote (against the changes), I couldn’t get through, because the website kept telling me: “an unexpected mistake happened, reload the app”. After the 10th mistake I became suspicious and yes, I tried to choose another option to vote. Right, no mistake this time – though my vote was in new policy’s favor, I could see the results of the poll and proportion was obvious – people didn’t support the changes. I hope the mistake wasn’t intentional and people still can vote against.