Facebook's Growing Hunger for Your Data, as Told by Its Proliferating Profile Fields
An interesting new study (PDF) out of Carnegie Mellon University examines how students there, who first joined Facebook in 2005, have changed their privacy settings on the service over time. One finding: the sometimes-confusing changes to Facebook’s privacy options in 2009 and 2010, for which it was sanctioned by the US government, succeeded in getting the Carnegie Mellon students to publicly share more information .
The study also includes a list of 39 data fields that could be associated with a Facebook profile in 2005, which is an amusing look at the social network’s early years, and 126 fields that comprised a Facebook profile in 2012, which speaks to how far the social network has come. Here they are:
Facebook profile fields in 2005
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Gender
Birthday
Hometown
State
Zip
High School
School
Status at School
Year
Concentration
Secondary concentration
Residence
Room in dorm
Mailbox at school
School email
Preferred email
AIM screen name
Phone number
Other phone
Address
Website
Interested in (gender)
Interested in meeting
Relationship status
In relationship with
Political views
Interests
Clubs and jobs
Favorite music
Favorite book
Favorite movies
Favorite quotes
About you
List of courses
P rofile picture
My pictures
Groups
Friends
Messages
Facebook profile fields in 2012
Living: Current City
Living: Hometown
Relationships: Relationship Status
Relationships: With
Relationships: Anniversary
About You: Description
Basic Info: Gender
Basic Info: Birthday
Basic Info: Interested in
Basic Info: Languages
Basic Info: Religion
Basic Info: Rel. description
Basic Info: Political Views
Basic Info: Pol. Description
Contact Info: Preferred email
Contact Info: FB email
Contact Info: Mobile Phone
Contact Info: Other Phones
Contact Info: IM Screen Names
Contact Info: Address
Contact Info: City
Contact Info: Zip
Contact Info: Neighborhood
Contact Info: Website
Contact Info: Networks
Favorite Quotation: Quotation
Photos: Profile (historical)
Photos: Cover Photo
Photos: Mobile Uploads
Photos: Albums
Photos: Videos
Maps/places: Hometown
Maps/places: Places Lived
Maps/places: Business
Maps/places: Public spaces e.g. parks
Maps/places: Life Events
Maps/places: Photos
Likes: Music
Likes: Movies
Likes: Television
Likes: Athletes
Likes: Sports Teams
Likes: Events
Likes: Interests
Likes: Business
Likes: Promotions
Likes: Items/Merchandise
Likes: People
Likes: Establishments
Applications: Recent Use
Notes: Posts
Notes: Linked Blog
Subscriptions: People
Subscribers: People who subscribe to user
Friends: Aggregate
Friends: Lists
Friends: Requests
Timeline: Activity e.g. updates
Timeline: Comments
Timeline: Tags
Timeline: Likes
Timeline: Shares
Timeline: Places
Timeline: Friends’ Posts
Timeline: Highlights
Timeline: All Stories (all activity)
Work and Education: Colleges: Time Period
Work and Education: Colleges: Graduated
Work and Education: Colleges: Description
Work and Education: Colleges: Concentrations
Work and Education: Colleges: College or Graduate School
Work and Education: Colleges: Classes
Work and Education: High School: Location
Work and Education: High School: Time Period
Work and Education: High School: Graduated
Work and Education: High School: Description
Work and Education: Work Places: Position
Work and Education: Work Places: Location
Work and Education: Work Places: Description
Work and Education: Work Places: Time Period
Life Events: Work & Education: New Job
Life Events: Work & Education: Published Book or Paper
Life Events: Work & Education: Retirement
Life Events: Work & Education: New School
Life Events: Work & Education: Study Abroad
Life Events: Work & Education: Volunteer Work
Life Events: Work & Education: Military Service
Life Events: Work & Education: Other Life Event
Life Events: Family & Relationships: First Met
Life Events: Family & Relationships: New Relationship
Life Events: Family & Relationships: Engagement
Life Events: Family & Relationships: Marriage
Life Events: Family & Relationships: Expecting a Baby
Life Events: Family & Relationships: New Child
Life Events: Family & Relationships: New Family Member
Life Events: Family & Relationships: New Pet
Life Events: Family & Relationships: End of Relationship
Life Events: Family & Relationships: Loss of a Loved One
Life Events: Family & Relationships: Other Life Event
Life Events: Home & Living: Moved
Life Events: Home & Living: Bought a Home
Life Events: Home & Living: Home Improvement
Life Events: Home & Living: New Roommate
Life Events: Home & Living: New Vehicle
Life Events: Home & Living: Other Life Event
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Organ Donor
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Overcame an Illness
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Quit a Habit
Life Events: Health & Wellness: New Eating Habits
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Weight Loss
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Glasses, contacts, Other
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Broken Bone
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Removed Braces
Life Events: Health & Wellness: Other Life Event
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: New Hobby
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: New Instrument
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: New Language
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Tattoo or Piercing
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: New License
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Travel
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Achievement or Award
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Changed Beliefs
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: First Word, Kiss, Other
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: New Sport
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Registered to Vote
Life Events: Travel & Experiences: Other Life Event
