"Facebook has come under increasing scrutiny for a number of reasons and many were left with a sour taste in their mouth following a New York Times reader Q&A with Elliot Schrage, the company’s Vice President for Public Policy."

Vice President for Public Policy.

What does "Public" mean? If I hide him from my friends, is he then invisible to my friends but still "public" and accessible by facebook's partners and affiliates?

I'm so confused.