[joe_the_user]

But why even have privacy settings if you're not going to try to enforce them?

That's a question for Facebook, not us. Don't you think?

However, the thing about Facebook isn't just that doesn't respect own privacy settings (which it hasn't). The thing is the concept of providing strong privacy while sharing within a set of intersecting friendship is essentially contradictory and impossible.

This (impossible) promise is very convenient for Facebook, however, since serves as an incentive, a pretext, for all-controlling environment. Consider, how do you keep your information safe while sharing it? The answer isn't "something sort-of like DRM". The answer is that is exactly, fully the definition of DRM. What Facebook is promising boils down to personal DRM (ie, impossible and opens the door nefarious third parties, etc).