Wednesday 23 January 2013

Facebook Graph Search – A Potential Threat to Google?

Facebook’s latest friends-based search tool, Graph Search application might have gone a little too far with the privacy leaks; however, it is being touted to be a potential threat to the search engine giant, Google. With personalized searches based on the information shared with you by your friends or the information that you have shared with them and their friends, you are in a better position at finding people (or professionals), places (or restaurants), pictures (or images) and also interests (gym buddies or book club members) through this latest social search app.

While Facebok’s founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Graph Search application, the latest app addition to the social networking site, the online world has already started playing guessing games. In the recent years, Google had been eyeing for a search application to include personal data and information that was more personalized than the keyword-based searches made on it. With the addition of Google +, it had not quite reached where it was aiming to. Cut to, Facebook Graph Search makes a splashing entry… of sorts!

The Facebook search application, that is available to a handful of a billion Facebook users, is an extension of the search that is already available on the social network. The search will allow users to look up for just about any person, place, photos and interests depending on the information that has already been shared with you or what you have shared with your social circle. However, in contrary to the popular belief that graph search violates user privacy, it actually makes available on search only what is set to the “visible” mode by the users. Hence, what is set as “custom” or “only friends” mode is not visible on searches.

How to Play Safe with Graph Search?

With Facebook discontinuing its service to let users opt out from its search results last month, it became quite evident that user privacy would not be that safe on the social network. If you are one of the many worrying about your privacy and social life to be made public via the Graph Search application of Facebook, then it is advised that you make a quick visit to your privacy settings on the site. The top right hand corner of the Facebook page allows you to set your profile and its certain components either visible to you, close friends, friends of friends, made public or you can even customize it for certain friends. Therefore, by limiting access to your maximum information on Facebook, you can stay safe from the privacy hazards of the latest search tool.

Therefore, one can sum up to the fact that Facebook has a lot of potential and can do wonders for businesses that are liked and subscribed by your friends and their friends or people in your city or who share your interests. However, Google remains to be the core of online searching for the online users, marketers, advertisers and businesses. Facebook has a long way to go, still!

Stay tuned to this section for the latest on Facebook’s Graph Search application.

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