Experts have warned that Facebook’s latest update could leave users open to mischief at the hands of their  friends.

The new capability makes it possible to edit posts after they have been published. Previously, it was only possible to change what had been written by deleting the text and re-writing – leading to the loss of all ‘likes’ and comments.

The feature has been introduced to allow users to spare their own blushes by giving them the chance to correct any spelling or grammatical errors they may have made first time round. This would, however, have no effect on the associated interactions below. Those who have clicked ‘like’ or commented wouldn’t be notified of the changes either.

While Facebook refused to comment on the possible vulnerabilities, social media expert Kieran Hannon said:

“The latest update from Facebook to allow editing of posts after they have been published raises some real concerns amongst individuals I know and business clients of mine.

“A like or a comment made on a previously static piece of content is now open to misinterpretation – a fact that many less informed users are currently unaware of.

“The opportunity to ‘stitch up’ friends or foes on Facebook has increased dramatically.”

The edit feature was put in place after the social media giant revealed that more than 50 per cent of its users access the site on their mobile devices, many of which make use of fiddly touchscreen keypads that could lead to more mistakes being made.

While notifications are not currently passed on, users can see that a status has been edited and also have access to a history of all of the changes which have been made.

No doubt Facebook’s user-base will make any concerns they have clear to Zuckerberg’s firm, but businesses will certainly have to be careful to avoid any situations of misinterpretation.

Graeme Parton

Graeme has experience creating content for online sources and for the radio, and at university he studied Multimedia Journalism.