Poll suggests users looking to dump Facebook

Facebook's recent privacy issues could be driving more than half of its users to quit the social network, according to a recent survey.

Security firm Sophos said that it conducted an informal user poll which found that some 60 per cent of Facebook users were considering leaving the social networking service to some extent.

Of the nearly 1600 users Sophos polled, 30 percent said that it was "highly likely" they will be leaving the site over privacy concerns.

Another 30 percent said that leaving the service was "possible."

Furthermore, 16 percent of the users surveyed had already taken down their profiles.

Just 12 percent of users surveyed said that they would not be leaving the service with an additional 12 percent said that leaving was unlikely.

"What this poll shows is that the majority of the people we polled are fed up with the lack of control that Facebook gives them over their own data," wrote Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley in a blog post.

"Most still don't know how to set their Facebook privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing. What's needed is a fundamental shift towards asking users to 'opt-in' to sharing information, rather than to 'opt-out'."

The study comes amidst growing concerns over Facebook's policies towards sharing user data and allowing users to control their own information.

Critics have accused the company of not doing enough to lock down profile information, while Facebook has stated that guarding user information and maintaining trust is a top priority.