This is an excellent article on Facebook's policies and privacy. It's from Cnet.com, a very good source for all things internet:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13880_3-20047703-68.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;1n
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I was always aware that Facebook misused information that its users posted, however, what came as a surprise to me is how its possible to guess someone's SS number just by their birth date.
ReplyDeleteThe information and pictures I see people post on Facebook is ridiculous. Originally, in my understanding, Facebook started off as a Web site that professors and schools warned their students to be careful of because it could prevent them from getting a job.
Even now the social-networking monster uses information to target consumers with ads they might like--and nobody cares. I myself am guilty of this, but after reading this article and becoming aware of the degree that Facebook uses the information I think I may reconsider what I have listed.
Another section of the article that caught me by surprise is how the "Like" function is used reveal users' information. As many people relentlessly "Like" things, they open their private lives to advertisers and companies.
Other than being a time consuming black hole, Facebook is seemingly a legal way to steal someone's identity.
It makes me wonder whether MySpace did the same thing, as I was too young during its era to even begin to care about what the Web site was doing with my information.
Reading this article sent a slight shiver down my spine. Although I joke with friends that "Facebook knows all" I didn't quite understand the extent of it before reading this article. I think everyone who has a Facebook should read it. It sheds great light onto things that most people don't even think about. The fact that your social security number can be figured out fairly easily simply by your date of birth and the place you were born is frightening.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article I took O'Reilly's advice and changed my privacy settings. The scary part of it all is, that even if people were to read this article, most wouldn't take the time to change their settings. Most people just figure "Oh well." I mean, honestly, there might be little success in trying to hide from "Big Brother" but why not take a couple steps in the right direction. Not to the point where you move to the woods and live in fear in a hut with no contact with the outside world, but at least you're beating "him" in this one small way.
The fact that Facebook is making a boat load of money because of the information people are willing to share, is genius. And I think that certain people like the idea of being targeted by ads that are so customized to them. For me, this was an eye opening experience. I am now willing to take the time to make changes to my Facebook, that could potentially protect me from being another commodity.
This article kind of makes me want to go talk to the people who fix someone's "web reputation" and ask them to take my information off all the sites that I've given any of my information to. It just goes to show that there's no such thing as a free lunch, or if you'd like, information is never really free.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that someone could find the information about me that could severely screw me in the future is absolutely terrifying. I am going to think twice before I add any other accounts to my name, be they for news or for fun. The Internet may be vast and full of potential, but it's instability worries me.