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You'd think with its recent security breaches that Facebook would want to tighten up its site, but that seems far from the case....

In what can only be described as security suicide, the popular (and once sensible) social networking site will not only add a members search function which allows unregistered users to scan individual profiles but then integrate profiles into search engines so user data can be called up by the likes of Google and Yahoo! (there would have been an exclamation on that sentence even if it hadn't ended in Yahoo!).

In defence of its crackers moronic irresponsible decision, Facebook says that the public search listing will only reveal minimal information about each user with Googlers restricted to a thumbnail picture and links to interact with them. Quite rightly however, the move has been greeted with widespread condemnation and (entirely fair) accusations that it transforms Facebook from a social networking site into some sort of web based White Pages. Did anyone sign up for that?!

Thankfully, Facebook will give all users the option to restrict what information from their profile is shared with unregistered users and search engines, but it is a sure bet that many/most will not realise or even know that they need to do this.

With an estimated 39m Facebook users at present that is a reckless amount of identity information to make publically available. You have been warned...

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