The battle rages between social networks and users demanding extra measures of privacy.  Today Facebook marched ahead by removing a users ability to hide themselves from search results.  Advocates of online privacy are sure to have something to say about the decision.

According to Mashable, the new Facebook privacy settings are being rolled out today, and you will notice a shortcut on the top right corner of your Facebook page when the update is applied to your profile.

Some other features were modified with this privacy update as well, which are sure to get swept under the rug by privacy advocates upset over the search changes.  For example Facebook has made it easier to get objectionable photos of yourself removed from other users profiles.  Many users will feel that this update has significantly improved their privacy.  It all depends on your perspective.

As a culture we like to focus on the negatives and the scandals.  So it’s no surprise that Facebook users would focus on how the update might invade their privacy rather than the ways it has further protected it.

The move is speculated to be a response to users who found the previous privacy settings too complex to navigate easily.  This update is being seen as a move to make options more accessible to the average or infrequent Facebook user.  While “power users” might find the over-simplification of privacy settings unnecessary, the changes are likely to make these options more manageable for those who were previously unhappy with the status quo.