Update Twitter From Facebook by End of the Week

By the end of the week, Facebook users will be able to update their Twitter status directly from their Facebook accounts. This announcement coincides with Facebook’s announcement of their very own URL shortener, fb.me.

As Tech Crunch reports, the fact that Facebook is allowing allowing people to access Twitter directly from their profiles is unique for two reasons. Aside from the fact that Twitter is a competitor to Facebook for traffics and relevancy in the social media space, it is unique because Facebook is making the updating feature a standard part of the Facebook user interface rather than relying on a third-party application.

The purpose of the Twitter update mechanism is to drive traffic from Twitter back into Facebook. If a Facebook user shares a link from their account using the bf.me URL shortener, anyone who clicks on the link will be directed back into Facebook. Interestingly, if a Twitter user wants to update their Facebook account, they must still use a third-party application like Tweetdeck.

As Facebook users continue to be confused about the site’s new privacy settings, it will be important for Facebook to clarify exactly how the Twitter update mechanism works and how users can avoid sharing messages for their friends with the entire world. However, it is not just Facebook’s responsibility. Users should make themselves aware of the new publishing and privacy features and, as always, take extra care in deciding what to share online.