Facebook To Reveal New Privacy Settings Today

Only time will tell.

Facebook has come under heavy fire for recent changes to its privacy settings, or lack thereof, in recent weeks, with even top politicians asking the social networking site to get a better handle on user information or at least make the sharing of certain information in Facebook profiles an "opt-in" versus and "opt-out" service.

Facebook today is expected to reveal new, simplified privacy settings to its nearly 500 million users. The company has planned a conference call with reporters for 1:30 p.m. eastern to highlight some of the changes, several reports indicate.

The concern over Facebook's privacy settings, which have created a public outcry over who can control information and where information posted on Facebook can be found and accessed, prompted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to write in an editorial in The Washington Post in a bid to calm consumers.

"We have heard the feedback. There needs to be a simpler way to control your information. In the coming weeks, we will add privacy controls that are much simpler to use. We will also give you an easy way to turn off all third-party services. We are working hard to make these changes available as soon as possible. We hope you'll be pleased with the result o four work and, as always, we'll be eager to get your feedback," Zuckerberg wrote in the editorial, in which he promised simpler security settings.

Zuckerberg also tried to reassure Facebook users that the social networking giant doesn't share information with advertisers or sell user information to third parties.

Facebook's pending privacy policy and security changes are in response to widespread criticism regarding its stance on privacy. Facebook users, supported by several global government agencies, have called recent changes to Facebook's privacy policies "unacceptable" as they have made some user information public and include new features through which third-party partner sites can access user data without users' permission or consent.

Along with unveiling new privacy settings today, Facebook is also expected to meet with Congress on Thursday to discuss privacy and security settings further, the UK's Telegraph reported.