How to Disable the new "Places" tool by Facebook to Protect Your Privacy

Facebook is a technology phenomenon that has set the standard for social media. However, its latest tool "Places" is creating quite a commotion. Why? To begin Facebook has automatically added this tool to your account. Rather than announce it and offer instructions on how to "enable" it, they have forced this feature onto your account where the techie neophyte is unaware that "friends" could be posting your location on their wall. In other words, you could be at legitimate doctor's appointment, and a supposed "friend" could say that you're at the beach playing hooky. If you value your privacy, then you want to disable this feature. Instructions are further below.

What is "Places"? First a little background information in layman's terms to help you follow this technology so you don't feel like a dinosaur, even if you don't use Facebook regularly.

For starters, "Places"  purpose is similar to another social networking site called FourSquare.com that was launched only a year ago and has grown in meteoric proportions.

Foursquare is a web and mobile application that allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location. Points are awarded for "checking in" at venues. Users can choose to have their check-ins posted on their accounts on Twitter, Facebook or both. As professional marketers, Alicia and Christine agree this is genius.  It drives traffic to businesses and if a user has checked-in to a venue on more days (meaning only one check-in per day qualifies for calculating mayorship) than anyone else in the past 60 days, the check-ins are valid under Foursquare's time and distance protocols, and they have a profile photo, they will be crowned "Mayor" of that venue, until someone else earns the title by checking in more times than the previous mayor.

Obviously this is for people with a lot of free time who enjoy socializing with friends through their mobile phone. (According to recent reports, for the MY Generation, email is considered snail communication. Text messaging and other mobile phone applications allows them to be instantly connected. First there was "instant coffee" now it's instant connection and communication.)

TO DISABLE "PLACES" Tool on Facebook
Visit Facebook.com, click on account, and then "privacy settings." Then, at the bottom of that page, click on the word "customize settings." Under the category, "Things others share," find "Friends can check me in to Places," and select "Disabled." While you are there, review your other settings and make sure you are comfortable with them.

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