For weeks, the hoax [two different ones] about FB privacy settings continued to circulate and people readily believed them, without even asking anyone, questioning or reading the articles that clearly said that this is hoax & denied by Facebook.
Even today, people keep posting the 'notices' about their privacy. Why do we fall for wrong information, propaganda, news about some impeding doom, so promptly?
Is it about our society? Or something about human mind. Just like in times of communal tension, many believe firmly whatever rumours that circulate.
Worst propaganda is readily accepted as truth while reality in front of your eyes, you ignore and doesn't hit you hard enough to make an impression on mind.
In this case, where people feared that Facebook would bypass their security and privacy settings to reveal their photographs, they should have realised that even if it were true, posting such content on your timeline won't help.
Facebook won't be reading individual posts and IT WAS NOT A PETITION, signing which would be understandable. Still, either on the streets or social media, people react strangely, believing things without verifying or checking.
Don't fall prey to rumours during communal tension
I remember, long back during a communal riot, there was a rumour that girls of one community were targeted and their breasts were severed by members of other community.
The rumour was readily believed by the sanest people. In every household people were talking about it and it circulated in both communities, who believed that an incident had occurred and both felt that victims were 'their girls' and 'assailants were other'
Does human brain fall for dark things & is more prone to believing untrue, far-fetched, things?