If you don't want Facebook to share your private information, a bill that would grant that wish hits the California Senate this week for a vote.

But it will be an uphill battle. Sen. Ellen Corbett's SB 242 needs five votes for passage. It was already rejected and was granted reconsideration in the Senate, according to California News Service. Facebook, Google and other Silicon Valley giants are lobbying against it.

It' called the Social Networking Privacy Act, and here's what it would do:

… Prohibit a social networking Internet Web site, as defined, from displaying to the public or other registered users any information about a registered user of that Internet Web site, other than the user's name and city of residence, without the express agreement of the user.

It would also …

… require a social networking Internet Web site to establish a process for new users to set their privacy settings as part of the registration process that explains privacy options in plain language, and to make privacy settings available in an easy-to-use format.

Sounds good, huh? But the social networking giants aren't having it. Your info = money for marketing and advertising. Knowing not just that you exist, but that you live in a certain zip code, are a certain age, went to a certain college, is gold.

Corbett tells California News Service:

This really is something the citizens of California are clamoring for; more privacy and respect for their private information. And I think this is the wave of the future.

Maybe you should, er, start a Facebook page to support it.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.