Howto Disable Facebook Places
 

"Facebook Places" is a new Facebook feature with Foursquare check-in-like functionality, but by default it lets other people tag you as being at a location without requiring your consent even if you're not there. This could lead to friends tagging you as being inside a peepshow, or an ex-girlfriend tagging you as being with another girl so your new girlfriend gets pissed off. The sitcom storyline possibilities are endless! Here's how to turn it off:

1. Go to privacy settings
2. Go to "customize"
3. Scroll to "things others share"
4. Disable "friends can check me into places."

http://consumerist.com/2010/08/faceb...at-places.html

hates facebook for enabling this things by default ... They do absolutely everything to get all your personal information :(

if they leave it disabled by default, nobody will use it, so I "can" understand this default choice;
but the least they can do is add a nice attention bar when you log in saying a new feature was added, what is does, and how to disable it if you don't want/need it

That would indeed be the best alternative and afaik it's what most larger websites do so I don't understand why Facebook can't :redface: