Facebook and Secrecy

Most people think of Facebook as a place where anything they might share could end up being seen by nearly anyone. But now, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to shift the company's focus to messaging services designed to serve as a privacy fortress. Facebook is considering creating ways for small groups of people to hold encrypted conversations that neither Facebook nor any other outsider can read. It also plans to let messages automatically disappear, a feature pioneered by its rival Snapchat. Such moves could minimize fears some have that social media posts can follow people throughout their lives. The effort may also help Facebook ward off additional scrutiny from government regulators who are increasingly concerned about privacy risks.