Privacy: 8% of users indicate full address in Facebook

Privacy in social networks is not only an issue in Germany. The U.S. magazine Consumer Reports calls for evaluation of a study on user behavior on more responsibility. The majority of members in social networks is still careless with their data.

In the United States there has been a less stringent view on topics such as data protection and privacy. Nevertheless, consumer protection in the U.S. do worry about how to deal with sensitive data.

Privacy in social networks like Facebook and MySpace is not only a task for operators. Users should not make personal information public so lightly, warns the American magazine Consumer Reports.

A study by the magazine showed that the majority of the users in social networks rather careless when it comes to publishing private data. Nearly 40 percent of users reveal their date of birth, 20 percent post photos of their children online, with 13 percent also specify their names. Your full address to give 8 percent of surveyed users.

So that they sit down for serious risks, such as identity theft. Who betrays where he lives, and specific travel plans announced invites burglars is warned. The big social networks now offer the option to adjust exactly who can see what information each. Facebook for example, provides detailed options for this in the privacy settings. Many users of these opportunities are still unknown, others just do not care about the security settings.

To protect against cyber criminals (or just burglars who take advantage of the absence) of social networks, users should be careful when they publish information about themselves, advises Consumer Reports.