Facebook Sued Over Data Access

Late last year, a web service called Power.com launched with the aim of allowing users to unify their use of multiple social networks. Facebook quickly filed a lawsuit, objecting to the (user-authorized) gathering of their data. Reader sufijazz writes with news that Power.com has now countersued Facebook, saying, "Facebook improperly restricts its users' access to their private information," and that Facebook's own data scraping makes their lawsuit an attempt to stifle competition. According to TechCrunch, "Facebook can point to its efforts with Facebook Connect, which lets you log in with your Facebook username at third party sites and import some select data from your profile, as evidence of its openness. But this isn't true data portability, it's just a new walled garden — third parties are generally only allowed to cache your data, which means that you're still tethered to Facebook."

Comments

Well

[Idiot with a gun]

This is an interesting change. I'd rather Facebook be too stingy with my information, as compared to the usual loose attitude towards user's data and data security that most companies seem to have. Better safe than sorry.

Re:Well

[MadFarmAnimalz]

I think this has more to do with you wanting to move your data, not them just handing it out. There is a huge difference.

I don't really agree. The bits aren't being loaded carefully in moving boxes and transported by truck. Copies of digitally stored information are cheap and if you own your own data facebook shouldn't have any objections to you using your own data elsewhere.

Placing bits of information on a pedestal like they were a Gutenberg bible is a bit like the thinking behind disallowing copying of a DVD for backup purposes. You can't really own bits, and the information they represent isn't facebook's to begin with.

Really?

[Morlark]

I sometimes wonder about the state of society that lawsuits like these should even come about in the first place. If people are dumb enough to give away their login credentials to some random website, what business is it of Facebook's? And if Facebook wants to shut the door on third parties, surely it's their service to do with as they wish?

Re:Really?

[AlexBirch]

Their service yes, but your data? What are my rights? If I sign to give away my first born, is that legally binding?

Re:Really?

[DaRanged]

... If people are dumb enough to give away their login credentials to some random website ... </p></quote>

People are more than just dumb when they sign up to things like Facebook, Skype, and nowadays just about any other social networking site / application. How many spam email / invites do you get from people you know who just signed up to Facebook and they (were stupid enough to) let Facebook into all their email accounts, IM contact lists by giving the website the user ID and password without thinking/knowing/realising the implications of what theyre doing? You can always tell these people coz you get spammed at every email address they had of yours!

Surely buried somewhere in the T&Cs of all these systems, there is a privacy clause which says you should never give your password out to anyone? And if not, they should flippin well put it in there to detect a dodgy system attempting to scalp email addresses, contact info and anything else that password affords access to.

What IS messed up is how Facebook gives applications access to data they do not need (e.g. why should Superpoke or any other non-photo based add-on be given access to my photos??) and therefore should be denied it. They still are not doing enough to fix this, and even changed the way they handle public votes/opinion not too long ago to get out of their responsibility to their users.

"Their" private data.

[0100010001010011]

If it's "Their" private data then how hard will it be for "Them" to add it to Power.com? It looks like Power.com is trying to import and sync all the different social networks and facebook is saying No.

On one hand, if I hand all of my info to site X, why can't I give site X permission to give it to site Y.

On the other, If I give all my information to site X. Who am I to tell them what they can and can't do with it. It's like trusting the guy on the street corner and the cardboard box to be your banker. Sure if I ask for some of my money to do something with I'd like it back, but I don't expect him to give me any.

Re:Technically true, but really ...

[Shadow of Eternity]

This is pretty much what I'm thinking. I've already got tons of people asking me why I don't respond to their messages because facebook randomly closed off my access to my account (used for overglorified email really) but left it fully open and searchable. I've tried about 4 times now to get it at least locked down so people can't keep finding it anymore but all I get is the runaround about how that is what they do (hint: they don't) and how it won't ever be reactivated.

Re:Call me a curmudgeon...

[Runaway1956]

I've had an account for a long time. Two or three years, I guess. I was invited by a friend, so I registered. It's 99% waste of time, and 1% a convenient way to keep track of friends. Pretty much the same as Myspace, without the glaringly ugly personal pages.

As for your lawn, I'll get off it when I finish urinating on it, you crotchety old bastid. You should show a little more respect to a man who is half bald, half gray, and all gnarly!