Fans react to Facebook’s Community Pages and user privacy changes (where’s the unlike button?)

As Google is being asked by countries around the world to "do more to protect privacy," Facebook is opening a can of worms by spreading its Facebook Connect service across the web and encouraging users to become more open with their information.

On Monday, April 19, Facebook introduced Community Pages, "a new type of Facebook Page dedicated to a topic or experience that is owned collectively by the community connected to it," and Connected Profiles.

Facebook users were quick to comment on the new changes, questioning how it would change their profile visibility and possibly make information visible to Facebook "strangers."

"Keep in mind that Facebook Pages you connect to are public," reminded Facebook in an April 19 blog post. "You can control which friends are able to see connections listed on your profile, but you may still show up on Pages you're connected to. If you don't want to show up on those Pages, simply disconnect from them by clicking the "Unlike" link in the bottom left column of the Page."

More than 2,000 Facebook users gave thumbs up for the Connected Profile and Community Page changes. Others responded with heartfelt pleas, willing the company to revert to its previous settings and to refrain from changing users' privacy settings.

"What if I like something but don't want to be visible on a page of thousands of others who happen to like the same thing? I don't want to be advertised like that. You are offering less and less privacy, Facebook, and most of us won't be fans of this," wrote Kelly Ordway Barnes in response to the announcement.

Facebook user Joshua Trupin commented, "Why would anyone but an advertiser like this feature? This is like Google Buzz all over again."

"Facebook, please give users back at least SOME CONTROL of our profiles. If we don't want to be in a community (I don't want to be with all people who like to cook), let us opt out," exclaimed Facebook user Becky Shaw before adding, "This is absurd - stop setting us up for data mining for advertising."

"Can you please stop changing FB, it's extremely annoying," said a frustrated Jan Chrapcynski Steuart, while Simon Benjamin Gomizelj simply wrote, "dislike."

More Facebook changes are set to be unveiled at Facebook's F8 developer's conference on Wednesday, April 21.