In an attempt to expand its user base, Facebook, the second most popular social networking site in the US, has announced plans to drop its membership restrictions. Facebook, which previously required members to have a school or university email address, has revised its policy to create new networks for 500 geographic regions, and anyone to access the website. The new policy, which will take effect next month, will enable people in the region to see the full profile of other members in the same region.
Facebook’s new move will put the previously exclusive social network in direct competition with MySpace, Bebo and Friendster. Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, said that the company needed to relax its membership rules in order to keep up with its existing members after they graduate from college and get jobs. However, this move will also expose Facebook to a host of problems like racism and child exploitation, already faced by MySpace.
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