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Senators Tell Facebook To Quit Sharing Users' Info

Posted by kdawson on from the in-your-heart-you-know-it's-wrong dept.

Hugh Pickens notes a USA Today story reporting that two US senators have joined Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in telling Facebook to quit sharing more of its users' data than they signed up for. Politico.com ups USA Today's ante, saying that it was three more senators, not two more, who joined Schumer's call: Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Al Franken (D-MN). The senators are asking the FTC to look at Facebook's controversial new information-sharing policies, arguing that the massively popular social network overstepped its bounds when it began sharing user data with other websites. Sen. Schumer said he learned about the new rules from his daughter, who is in law school, but added that he's noticed no difference on his own Facebook page, which, he assured reporters, "is very boring." "I can attest to that," deadpanned Franken, who made his living as a comedian before entering the Senate, and whose Facebook followers outnumber Schumer's by ten to one.

3 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Re:turnabout? by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    And you expect most Facebook users to discern that difference? To them it will be 'Big Government' telling their Facebook how things should be & stepping on their social networking rights ...

  2. Re:It's kind of sad... by L0rdJedi · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Here's Coulter's quote in context http://old.nationalreview.com/coulter/coulter.shtml And here's the video where she explains it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfGmaDrXJQ

    As far as Franken is concerned, if he believes that people should help each other (which I do as well), then why does he need government involvment? I certainly don't need any help from the government to give food to the nearby food bank or donate clothes to those in need. In fact, more government regulation to "help those that need it" usually ends up doing the opposite.

    You do not need the government to help the poor, downtrodden, unfortunate, or anyone else down on their luck. You need to get off your ass and get involved in your community. Help your neighbor when they need help. Volunteer with local charities. Help people that need help instead of continually asking the government to do it. That just invites fraud and abuse.

  3. Re:That bullshit is a mile deep by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Now you might be able to realize that the entire purpose of a democratic government is to allow people to decide how to best use their nation's resources. Some people get their warm fuzzies from denying that this is the case.

    Well, fuzz me up, because I think that holding a monopoly on violence in order to keep the people safe by upholding the laws also counts as the purpose of a democratic government, which is different from using the nation's resources.

    Now, I will agree that it is also the government's responsibility to regulate the usage of those resources which are truly communally owned, like airspace and natural water supplies perhaps. However, most of the resources spent to "take care of the needy", as the GP said, are tax revenues. Those aren't the nation's resources, they're my resources and the resources of private citizens like me.