Facebook's New Teen Policy Draws Fire

Facebook’s move to let teenagers share items more widely reflects growing competition among social networks for the attention of teens -- and the advertisers that want to reach them. Analysts said Facebook risks losing the next generation of young users if it doesn't keep pace with competitors. But some privacy advocates are more concerned about public posts on Facebook than on other sites because of its vast reach. It has 1.2 billion users world-wide, roughly five times as many as Twitter. Facebook also allows users to post a wider range of media and to comment more broadly than Twitter does. "This is about monetizing kids and teens," said James Steyer, founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit devoted to online privacy.