Some activities thrive
on darkness

After attacks from MoveOn and other privacy groups, more reports suggest Facebook is opting to scale back on its Beacon feature, which reveals items people have purchased from partner sites on their friends' News Feeds.

The Beacon, which launched on November 6, is one component of Facebook's ambitious three-tier ad plan.

MoveOn observed that Facebook's Beacon lacks a universal opt-out. Users must opt out one partner site at a time. Or, points out an SEO analyst, they can block the service on their browsers — something few know how to do.

On its Facebook group, Facebook, Stop Invading My Privacy!, MoveOn pointed out that the Beacon could embarrass or "out" members buying personal items or gifts. The group enjoys over 50,600 members.

Facebook's PR team asserted that "[purchasing] information is shared with a small selection of a user's trusted network of friends, not publicly on the web or with all Facebook users."

Not surprisingly, The Register chocks Facebook's "forthcoming U-turn" not to user outcry but to a "lukewarm reaction" from marketers over the Beacon product.

Two weeks ago, the Facebook blog defended its feature thus: "By opening up the kinds of things that can participate in Facebook beyond just people, and opening up the kinds of actions that appear on the site beyond just those that happen inside of Facebook.com, we hope Facebook will be even more useful in helping you keep up with all the meaningful things that are happening in your life."

Perhaps some activities are best left to friends' imaginations.

No word has appeared on the blog regarding intentions to scale the Beacon back.