It seems that Facebook may or may not have hired former Bush Administration Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy Muris to help the company deal with impending regulatory changes.  The truth is, it matters very little.

In fact, the noise about Muris’ joining Facebook and his resume is misdirection. So, too, is the point — assumed but quite logical — that his hiring is all about brokering a deal with the FTC.

A sharper point is the uneasy state of Facebook’s relationship with its users. The catalog of actions that have brought the company to this “point” are well-known. What ought to come next, though, is more than hiring a “fixer” or cutting a deal with regulators. Until Facebook makes privacy an understood and essential aspect of customer service, it will look like any other self-interested company seeking to protect a market, not the rising tide it fancies itself, lifing all boats.

Privacy is not a standard (set by law or regulation) that needs to be met.  Instead, it is a negotiation between customers and the companies with whom they do business.  Just like return policies and direct marketing and affinity clubs, privacy must be formed to support the relationship; clear in each moment, but flexible to respond to changed circumstances.

Facebook is an essential part of its users’ days.  Mr. Muris’ job status makes little difference as to whether 400 million users become 4 billion or 4 million.  That is up to Facebook.

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