30 percent of Facebook users not comfortable with FB friends

Consumer Reports News: May 10, 2011 12:08 PM

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Almost one in three active Facebook users told Consumer Reports that they weren't fully comfortable with all their Facebook friends when it came to their own or their family's security or safety, according to a report just published in the June issue of Consumer Reports.

Based on the 2011 Consumer Reports State of the Net Survey, the report breaks these active Facebook users down into two groups:

23 percent didn't know some of their friends well enough to feel comfortable about their own or family's safety and security.
An additional 6 percent admitted to having a friend who made them uneasy about the same concerns.

These findings are especially worrisome when you consider how many active Facebook users the survey found posted sensitive personal information to the site--information that might be of use to identity thieves, stalkers, or burglars:

34 percent had posted their full birth date.
21 percent of those with children at home had posted those children's name and photos.
15 percent has posted their current location or travel plans.

More of the survey results, as well as advice on how to protect yourself, can be found in the report, the June issue of Consumer Reports, and at ConsumerReports.org.

—Jeffrey Fox