“When we add new features to Facebook, we usually include a corresponding privacy setting,” wrote Chris Kelly, chief privacy officer, on Facebook’s official blog yesterday. “[T]he compounding effect of more and more settings has made controlling privacy on Facebook too complicated.”

 

Most Facebook users didn’t even use certain options, like denoting their “regional network,” because it wasn’t useful for them. And setting privacy controls has been so complicated and confusing, Facebook risked users posting less, or even abandoning the service, because they were scared to share. That’s the last thing Mark Zuckerberg wants.

 

So, soon, Facebook will put privacy settings all on one page and make it easier for users to customize what they want to share. Here is how it will work:

 

Within a week or two, Facebook will debut an updated version of the Publisher, that box on the top of your Facebook feed that lets you broadcast “What’s on your mind?” A little lock icon will appear in the lower right hand corner, and users can click on it to choose whether to share any individual update with “everyone,” “friends and networks,” “friends of friends,” “friends,” or a “custom” list to choose specific friends or a Friend List to see those photos, videos, links or other content.

 

You’ll be able to choose whether to tell “everyone” (even those who aren’t on Facebook) whether you voted for Obama or support the Iran protestors. Or you can broadcast details about a surprise birthday party to a select few, and share photos of the fun without making your boss blush.

 

According to Mashable, the share with “everyone” option will “make your Facebook status updates public domain,” and become free content for an upcoming revamp of Facebook Search.

 

For now, Facebook is keeping users’ current privacy settings during the transition. So, Facebook will not automatically share your photos and videos with “everyone” as a default setting. “If you have selected settings that restrict who has access to information, those choices are carried over to the new privacy settings,” Mr. Kelly wrote. He added that “Facebook will not share your personal information with advertisers unless and until you want to share that information.”

So when will all of these shiny new updates appear? Facebook launched a test of their transition tools yesterday and administrators will collect feedback from a select group of users and tweak the tools based on their feedback, according to Mr. Kelly. “Our goal is to ensure that people understand the changes to our privacy settings and make choices that reflect their comfort level,” he wrote. “After the testing and feedback phase is complete, we expect to offer final versions of the tool and the new settings to everyone on Facebook.”

 

In the meantime, share with caution, my “friends.”