About Privacy

Privacy management is a crucial aspect of member-based sites, allowing site owners to control how member profiles are displayed and who can access them.

The privacy system consists of 2 main APIs:

When a profile is public, the member's name and image appear next to their activities, such as any comments, likes, or files they post. This encourages interaction and community building while respecting member preferences for privacy.

How privacy works

The privacy system operates on a layered approach:

  1. Default Layer: The Default Privacy API sets the baseline privacy status for all new members.
  2. Override Layer: The Member Privacy Settings API can override the default settings for existing members.

When default privacy is PRIVATE:

  • New members have private profiles by default.
  • When privacy settings are overriden to PUBLIC, existing members have the opportunity to make profiles public. It's important to keep in mind that default privacy is still set to PRIVATE.

When default privacy is PUBLIC:

  • New members have profiles public by default.
  • When privacy settings are overriden to PRIVATE: All current and new members lose the ability to make profiles public.

Before You Begin

It's important to note the following before starting to code:

Terminology

  • Public profile: A member profile that displays the member's name and image alongside their site activities.
  • Private profile: A member profile that keeps the member's identity hidden from other site visitors.
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