Facebook Groups Faces Backlash for No Opt-in

Every time Facebook launches a new feature, some sort of backlash follows. It was just yesterday that Facebook announced new revamped Groups feature for users to share information with friends, family and relatives. Jason Calacanis, entrepreneur and blogger, complained that a user named Jon Fisher had added him and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington to a NAMBLA group (North American Man/Boy Love Association) [Note: This group has been either been made secret or deleted]. Hence, Calacanis criticized Facebook for not offering opt-in or opt-out settings for this new Groups feature. 

New Facebook Groups can be created simply by visiting www.facebook.com/groups and adding your friends. Obviously the creator must be friends with the individuals in order to add them to the groups. Even though our friends won't create any idiotic groups, it doesn't mean Facebook shouldn't offer opt-in settings.

Jaime Schopflin, Facebook spokeswoman responded in an official statement to AFP, "Many social dynamics on Facebook are determined by the people who use it. If you don't trust someone to look out for you when making these types of decisions on the site, we'd suggest that you shouldn't be friends on Facebook."

Danny Sullivan of Searchengineland believes that he prefers the older system of Facebook Groups wherein users get invited to be a part of any group.

However, Electronic Frontier Foundation is quite happy with Facebook's new application controls and redesigned groups. Kurt Opsahl, at EFF blog, noted, "Facebook should enhance the Groups feature by allowing for the creation of groups where the membership list is secret from members (i.e. just available to the group's administrators, if anyone), and where group members can interact using pseudonyms rather than their real names." 

Now it is heavily debatable whether Facebook should allow using pseudonyms just for secret and private groups. But again, if some objectionable activities take place, it would be difficult to track down a person who uses a pseudonym. However, if a user is a part of secret/hidden group and still wants to use pseudonym then there's serious issue of expression. Nonetheless, the option for secret groups might save Facebook from getting banned in different countries but does it really solve the purpose? An open social network that offers closed door discussions and forced entry to unwanted groups is bound to face some heat.