Another Reason to Dump Facebook

[MikeL]

You may already know of my strong aversion to Facebook and the fact that I booted it out of my life several months ago when I found a picture of one of my grandsons in a place where it should not have been.

 

Today's Los Angeles Times contains an article Facebook grants developers access to user addresses and phone numbers. The change was made without any announcement to the 600 million Facebook users.

 

 

Facebook has quietly opened the door for app developers to request a user's addresses and phone numbers.

 

The most popular social media site in the world announced the move on its Facebook Developer blog, in a post Friday night by developer liaison Jeff Bowen.

 

So far, Facebook has failed to mention the change on its general announcement blogfor users or any other network-wide methods. The company has dealt withprivacy concerns for years, with a focus of criticism being third-partyapp makers' access to user data.

 

 

Users will have an option to deny access to their information, but without any notice, the majority will never even consider opting out.

 

What are your thoughts about Facebook? Please participate in the poll at the beginning of this forum topic.

[Cyhort]

This is just one more reason why I'll never join a social network site. When did the idea of privacy die?

[MikeL]

This is just one more reason why I'll never join a social network site. When did the idea of privacy die?

Privacy interferes with the revenue stream. They don't give your personal imformation away free of charge.

[Phantom]

Privacy died with the advent of the internet and corporations making big money off of your browsing history. While I'm a firm supporter of "If you wouldn't want your mom to see what you're doing, then don't do that." I can understand the certain circumstances with some people wanting to remain anonymous.

 

Now, here's where I know I'll get eaten alive for what I'm going to say, that or make people more paranoid.

 

As a computer guy, if I had a website I can find out a lot about you just based on you visiting my website. For instances I can find out what browser you're using, you're operating system, your location (where you live) or the store you're currently at (i.e. if you're using a WiFi hotspot like so many of us). Heck if you access using your phone you're not that better off because I can see you make and model type of phone, your account information if needed, and the like. That's just if you visit my site using a laptop, tablet computer or a phone.

 

Now here's another point, If you access the internet using a free WiFi hotspot (Starbucks, Local Library, Fast Food Restaurant, Bar, Hotel. you're giving up more information then you bargain for. For instance if I was a company interested in what my customers were looking for I could access (if stored on a server used for hotspots) and market things to you specifically based on the websites you're visiting, among other things. Now if I was a malicious company, I could use your internet information, MAC ID and the like to sell to a company that can directly target you. Paranoid yet?

 

That's the thing about the internet, while built on good ideals, there's many a people who will take the information you put on the net and sell it or use it somehow to make a profit. That's why if you use a service that advertises itself as free, you should really read the fine print (Google, if you use ANY of their services, reserves the right to look at your stuff and read it for keywords. Example: You email a friend about an itching problem in your nether regions, well look at the text add up top it might contain something about a sexually transmitted infection treatment). Facebook and Zynga (the most popular sites and games respectively) have gotten in trouble for selling personal information and lying about it, but no one really took notice.

 

Honestly in the digital age, there's going to be a lack of hardcore regulations (with either privacy groups screaming foul, corporations screaming bloody murder, etc) and we're going to pay in the end. In the end, it's up to the individual user to figure out which company they trust to do the most good with information you trust to them, and even then it boils down to the lesser of the two evils.

 

Personally I've been consolidating my information across the internet to a few websites that I trust (Google, Apple, GA and Amazon) and even then I might get rid of one in favor of another one (get rid of Google for Apple since a portion of my information are equally on both but being a Mac person, I'd go with Apple just because they have my debit card info and Google doesn't). It's all a matter of trust in the end (and the fine print).

 

Now back to the topic at hand with Facebook. I personally hate Facebook, and have been contemplating for the past few days on getting rid of it and honestly I think I'm going to trim down my friend list to people I've talked to in the past few months compared to those in High School who befriended me for the hell of it, but that's something I'm contemplating, and it's something that everyone will figure out for themselves in the end.

[Kia Zi Shiru]

Google can barely keep track of my movements online because I block their tracking websites and Facebook doesn't know my official details... It never occurred to me to truthfully fill out details I don't want people online to know...

Facebook knows my city, my date of birth and what schools I have been to, why? Because I don't mind people finding that out about me. but I never fill out my phonenumber or actual adress, and have never done so in the past...

Also in the USA they are allowed to track your IP address but in the EU it is illegal to track it... Because of the differences in IP address and downloading policies some companies on both side of the ocean have gotten in trouble in the past, and will get in the future.

 

For me, I only share what I think is safe, to be honest that isn't much...

[Tipdin]

I can re-affirm what Phantom has said. I never put more on the Internet than I feel comfortable letting the public know. Birthday, schools, who I'm related to, that sort of stuff is no big deal to me, that's easy to find out even off line. But private issues and situations I keep private. I talk face-to-face or phone-to-phone.

 

Did you know that Congress has passed legislation making it legal to archive YOUR Internet history? They can track down everything you have ever put on the Internet and keep it, making it available to legal authorities, and others who formally petition to get that information. (Many employers are now petitioning for that info.)

 

The Internet is a public billboard, you are publishing everything you put on the Internet. Just go to google and type your name, you may be surprised at what comes up. I have posts that I made on certain websites (that I would NOT want my mother to see) from years ago!

[Nephylim]

Well, It is a frightening thought. However, I really don't mind who knows what about me. I am a completely open book. If people email me that I don't want to email me I can block them. If people telephone me when I don't want them telephoning me I can block the number. I can pretty much block annoying people anywhere and, lets face it as far as the authorities are concered they don't need to look at facebook to track you. If you use the internet, telephone, or any other mass media you're screwed. There is no such thing as privacy.

[Lugh]

I'm in the basket of if you don't put it out there they can't really hold it against you... then again if you put it all out there and basically say, "so what?!?" they can't really hold that against you either.

 

I opted out of the address/phone number deal within a few days of it coming out, and I don't put anything I don't want people to see on my FB page.

 

If someone wants to go through the trouble of tracking my movements through the net... good luck and have fun.

[Asa]

the only companies that can properly handle digital security are banks. they are unwilling because there's no sure way to monetize it.

 

if you want privacy and keep facebook, at least use firefox or chrome or safari and install facebook purity to keep the apps off your page.

if you want to truly hit the big red button to shut off all sharing and apps, then go into your facebook account, go to privacy settings, select the apps and websites settings in the lower left part of the screen, and edit them, then under apps you use, turn off the platform. this turns off all the app sharing and may detract from your ability to share a fortune cookie or some crops.

 

 

then do this: http://lifehacker.com/5542041/block-sites-from-using-your-facebook-login-with-adblock-plus

 

 

here is a rather lengthy article on blocking FB

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Manage-Facebook-Privacy-Options

[Renee Stevens]

I used to use Facebook all the time, but recently I severely cut back on my use... I no longer play any of the games, and like someone said above, I removed a lot of people that I never talked too.... My biggest issue with facebook as of late it that even if you don't want your private life posted for all to see, someone else might decide that it's their right to post in on their pages.... I've been dealing with this a lot over the last few months especially.... Parts of my life that people don't even know about are made up and posted, it's extremely embarrassing at times... I put what I want known up there, but as far as phone numbers and addresses... uh uh, no way! If I want someone to have those, then I'll give it to em myself... I especially think that teens shouldn't even be allowed to post their cell numbers, etc... you never know who's going to get a hold of it... I know a couple of people that their parents didn't care what they did online and suddenly they were getting phone calls from 20+ year olds and they're only 14!

[JamesSavik]

The thing about facebook is that you can give it as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with.

 

All that is really required is an email address and its easy enough to get a throwaway. You don't even HAVE to use you proper name or your photo much less your address and phone number.

 

YES- you can use facebook without giving up all of your personal data.

 

You just have to be smart about it.

[TetRefine]

Well, in college it's a rule of 'Use your Facebook regularly or get left out of half the stuff that goes on'. So, ever since my college days started I have begun using Facebook much more frequently, and I generally check it multiple times a day. Much of my personal info is out there too. Some people from GA I am friends with, but they are ones that I really know (or at least think I do). As for Facebook giving out my info, well I have opted out of several things, but its part of the 'give' of using Facebook as a FREE service.

[Asa]

The thing about facebook is that you can give it as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with.

 

All that is really required is an email address and its easy enough to get a throwaway. You don't even HAVE to use you proper name or your photo much less your address and phone number.

 

YES- you can use facebook without giving up all of your personal data.

 

You just have to be smart about it.

 

 

if you reach a certain amount of photo uploads on facebook you will be asked for your cell phone number to verify your account. Its also one of the key security questions. w most people just enter it so they can make the dialog box go away. you're right that if you're computer literate and understand what facebook's privacy settings do you can opt out of most things, but facebook doesn't work that way, and most people are incredibly stupid about using computers.

 

I find that most people don't care enough to fix the settings and end up wondering why they get a lot of spam and why they see ads with their pictures inserted. Well, now you know. That's how facebook makes its money. Off your personal information.

[Asa]

Well, in college it's a rule of 'Use your Facebook regularly or get left out of half the stuff that goes on'. So, ever since my college days started I have begun using Facebook much more frequently, and I generally check it multiple times a day. Much of my personal info is out there too. Some people from GA I am friends with, but they are ones that I really know (or at least think I do). As for Facebook giving out my info, well I have opted out of several things, but its part of the 'give' of using Facebook as a FREE service.

 

You can set facebook to notify you when events are going on. there's no need to put everything about yourself out there.

 

Facebook isn't a "free" service, you're just not paying with money. You're paying by adding your data to their database and generating their content. Just like reality tv, they don't have to pay for or create or aggregate their content from somewhere, they let you create it for them, and then make money off you.

Just like this place and any website does, advertising and visitor data pay the rent.

 

lots of people like to say they haven't got anything to hide so its all cool anyway, at least until you see an ad with a grandchild in it, that had to be a really great day. it will be interesting to see what happens when facebook starts sharing home and private information about kids. it will hit the fan when a parent sees a 14 year olds facebook page with ads on it for services or stuff sold in their neighborhood.

 

I need an editor for these posts haha

 

bye

Edited January 19, 2011 by Asa

[Rilbur]

Now if I was a malicious company, I could use your internet information, MAC ID and the like to sell to a company that can directly target you. Paranoid yet?

 

Not really. Who cares if they're specifically targeting me with ads I want -- heck, at least this way whatever I'm seeing has a chance of being something worth seeing!

 

 

 

Past that, please try not to blow this out of proportions. You are informed, explicitly, when you install an app if it requires access to additional information. If you don't want to use that app, fine -- and it's been acknowledged that far too many brain dead idiots won't notice that additional, non-public information is provided in the standard dialogue, because it's not displayed 'clearly' enough. This is because the average user is an idiot, not any mistake on facebook's part. You want to bitch about facebook, concentrate on logging in via HTTP instead of HTTPS, the way they require private data for their accounts, and don't promptly delete anything you've hit 'delete' on -- sometimes persisting it for years after it should have been deleted.

 

 

Also, I'm technically part of the 'used to use facebook' group, but I really count as 'never used it'; I had an account for a job, and that's the only use I've ever made of it. I've marked myself as 'other', since that doesn't really count against what you were asking.

[Devereaux]

As a telecommunications major this is something I've had to discuss quite a lot. In doing so, I've reached this conclusion: It's not as big of a deal as people make it.

 

So Facebook sells my address and phone number- All this means is that I'm going to receive junk mail and possibly a phone call. If I entered a drawing for a prize in a store I would opening myself up to the same thing. I think people fear having this information online because of the identity theft scare and, yes, in some ways it might be easier for identity theft to occur since the invention of the Intenet, but knowing someone's address and phone number could always have been figured out using the phone book.

 

If Facebook was selling my social security number and checking account numbers then I'd be worried. Then again, if I knowing put that information online then I guess I would have had it coming to me.

[hayven]

There's so much data about you online that with just a little bit of digging, most people can be locatable/identified. Facebook simply makes it easier.

 

For me though, being in tech-focused University and all, not having Facebook = not existing. I think being contactable/"connectable" wins over the privacy concerns.

[TetRefine]

You can set facebook to notify you when events are going on. there's no need to put everything about yourself out there.

 

Facebook isn't a "free" service, you're just not paying with money. You're paying by adding your data to their database and generating their content. Just like reality tv, they don't have to pay for or create or aggregate their content from somewhere, they let you create it for them, and then make money off you.

Just like this place and any website does, advertising and visitor data pay the rent.

 

lots of people like to say they haven't got anything to hide so its all cool anyway, at least until you see an ad with a grandchild in it, that had to be a really great day. it will be interesting to see what happens when facebook starts sharing home and private information about kids. it will hit the fan when a parent sees a 14 year olds facebook page with ads on it for services or stuff sold in their neighborhood.

 

I need an editor for these posts haha

 

bye

 

Its not just events. Its just the general flow of social life. It encompasses much more then the whole notification of events thing. And of course nothing is truly free that has to make money. I'm not stupid.

 

I don't post anything harmful to myself on Facebook. I never swear or put insulting things in my status update. I don't post drunken Friday night keg stand pictures on my profile like some friends I know. I don't post my home address, phone number, or IM account on it either. Everything I have on my Facebook I don't mind other people seeing. I am friends with my parents on Facebook so I do not post stupid stuff that could come back and bite me in the ass later.

 

For me though, being in tech-focused University and all, not having Facebook = not existing. I think being contactable/"connectable" wins over the privacy concerns.

 

Exactly.

[Menorain]

I don't mind that my privacy is being completely violated. What's the worst that could happen? O.O

 

Furthermore, as someone said before: NOT HAVING FACEBOOK=NOT EXISTING.

 

At uni anyway.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Menorain

[Bumblebee]

I like Facebook, but since I'm a minor I decided not to add my mobile number or address because I don't want some pedo finding me, and I don't want people I don't like texting me.

[Asa]

Its not just events. Its just the general flow of social life. It encompasses much more then the whole notification of events thing. And of course nothing is truly free that has to make money. I'm not stupid.

 

I don't post anything harmful to myself on Facebook. I never swear or put insulting things in my status update. I don't post drunken Friday night keg stand pictures on my profile like some friends I know. I don't post my home address, phone number, or IM account on it either. Everything I have on my Facebook I don't mind other people seeing. I am friends with my parents on Facebook so I do not post stupid stuff that could come back and bite me in the ass later.

 

 

 

Exactly.

 

Never meant to imply you were stupid, sorry, I'm not good at this.

 

I don't like or use facebook but all I was trying to say is, like that cat guy said, there's smart ways to use it, and you are. In my first post here I put up ways to block some of the worst privacy stuff, I hope people do those things.

[DragonMando]

I rarely use Facebook, but at it is, I don't put much on it.

 

At any given time, I have *roughly* ten photos, most of them of mundane things without people in them, and I regularly go through semi-paranoid phases thinking someone might be stalking me or whatever and I delete them.

 

I don't use my real name. (Jay is just and Internet name. I don't use it anywhere IRL)

 

I don't list my address.

 

I don't even list my gender.

 

Occasional gender references will be made, but that's a lot of wall posts from other people to sift through.

 

The one time I did list an address, it was a bogus one that doesn't even exist.

Edited January 19, 2011 by DragonMando

[W_L]

Only those that fear reality, should fear the internet

 

I am a tech oriented person, so I love the discussion about technology and society.

 

I'm in the mindset that there is nothing wrong with openness as long as it is not used in a malicious way. I use Facebook on and off from College to now. It's fun and interesting; it connects us in ways that nothing in the past thousand years have connected humanity. We've all been touched by internet social networks in one way or another.

 

Privacy is a Victorian ideal that is dying out like powdered wigs. Back even during the late 17th and 18th century enlightenment era, families were sleeping in the same bed in Europe completely naked and they were fine with it. People didn't hide their lives as much as we are used to, with exceptions, when certain actions were considered immoral like adultery and gay sex.

 

As many others have pointed out, your information is no longer private, probably a government database already has your information and everything else. The old days of being able to live like a hermit in the woods are gone.

 

As such, I don't see privacy as an innate human freedom, rather it is a limitation to human interaction. I list my phone number on Facebook without fear as the worst that may happen are a few telemarketers.

[Rilbur]

Privacy is a Victorian ideal that is dying out like powdered wigs

 

Sorry, I just don't buy that. I have the right to have who I want in my bed, without it getting posted all over the internet because my roommate thinks its funny.

[Asa]

Well you've obviously never had your identity stolen, wl. That will change your tune in a hurry.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Asa