Two recent technology events have me wondering about privacy: how much users, workers, and citizens alike are willing to accept in this age of digital everything sprayed across the internet, and power of the network, both to invade our privacy and empower us.

First is Facebook, some Web 2.0 social network which set up some sort of info feed that broadcast a bit too much information about users than they were comfortable with. The result: protests, complaints all across the blogosphere. To Facebook’s credit, they now have recognized the issues people were having and are working to rectify them, including a nice apology on their blog. It’s nice to see a company that listens to its users and works to improve their product, bringing the ideas of open source to the way they run their company, not just the software. So Facebook made a stupid move with the technology, but they can admit a mistake, apologize, and willingness to correct it based on user feedback is refreshing.

This philosophy doesn’t seem to have caught on yet at HP, another tech company with a privacy problem, where the current CEO Patricia Dunn has been accused of running an internal investigation on HP board members to figure out the source of leaks of confidential information. This is a case of the means not justifying the end, and the resulting SEC investigation and embarassment will likely do more damage to HP’s brand image than the leaks themselves. Meanwhile, blogger Scoble cals for Dunn’s resignation. It’s up in the air whether HP will listen to the public or its own board.

In both cases, we have companies that are using technology to gather information about people, be they users or employees. However, people have access to networks as well, and are slowly learning to use it as a balance to keep corporations in check. These days when a company makes a boo-boo, the information is sprayed across the web faster than said company can figure out what message their own blogs and PR firms should say. In some ways, the people’s network has already made the “right” decision for said company. So listen to the network: it’s not just limited to the software.

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