Open Source Utilities For Facebook Privacy

dward90 writes "Two online projects will scan and edit Facebook privacy settings for maximum protection: ReclaimPrivacy (reclaimprivacy.org) and SaveFace (untangle.com). The article says: 'Several new applications have launched this week that are designed to easily reset a Facebook member's privacy settings, following new changes from the company that make a sizable chunk of profile content public by default when it was once kept under lock and key.'"

Comments

Is It Just Me ...

[WrongSizeGlass]

... or is it just a bad idea to be able to change privacy settings via Facebook's API? Couldn't some other site/service "open the flood gates" instead of locking them down?

Re:Is It Just Me ...

[0100010001010011]

You can't. And neither of these tools do.

You have to drag them from their website to your toolbar. Go to facebook, click on them. The javascript scrapes the website and either validates the settings (reclaim) or just sets everything to 'friends only' (save face).

I've tested both and they seem to work just fine.

I bet facebook releases a change in the html to break the scraper soon though.

Open Source Warning

[AnonymousClown]

Before creating a facebook account, please consider this:

• Facebook must exploit your personal info in order to make the mega bucks that they've grown used to.
• A Facebook page may make you unemployable.
• All Facebook privacy safeguards will be circumvented.

Re:Open Source Warning

[Abstrackt]

A Facebook page may make you unemployable.

This one thing from an otherwise good post really bugged me. You may make yourself unemployable by posting things you shouldn't in public because despite Facebook's atrocious privacy policy they can only work with data you give them.

Re:Open Source Warning

[dcmoebius]

they can only work with data you give them.

Not true, actually. They can also work with the information your "friends" give them.

Re:Open Source Warning

[nacturation]

A Facebook page may make you unemployable.

This one thing from an otherwise good post really bugged me. You may make yourself unemployable by posting things you shouldn't in public because despite Facebook's atrocious privacy policy they can only work with data you give them.

"Damn Abstrackt, you sure had a fun time with those hookers last night. I can't believe they happened to have marijuana on them... you sure went to town on that bong! [pic attached] I'll be on IRC tomorrow... you've gotta tell me all about that Windows bug you exploited to crack into that .mil site." -- written on your wall

Re:Open Source Warning

[icebraining]

In fact, it's the reverse: being on Facebook is better because it alerts you when people tag you, so you can ask them to take it down/edit it; if you aren't registered you probably will never know until it bites you.

Re:Open Source Warning

[Hognoxious]

You may make yourself unemployable by posting things you shouldn't in public because despite Facebook's atrocious privacy policy they can only work with data you give them.

Gibberish. I could post a picture of two drunken idiots dancing naked in the street on my page - and tag one of them as you.

Re:Open Source Warning

[SatanicPuppy]

I was in an amusing job interview the other day:

Interviewer: "So, I'll need to see your Facebook page"
Me: "I don't have one."
Interviewer: "I know it's probably not something that you want all employers to see , but we're not 'narcs', we just want to know if you're a 'culture' fit."
Me: "No, really. I don't have one. I never understood the draw."
Interviewer: "You know, this is really not the sort of attitude we look for in a potential hire."
Me: "...If you Google my name, you get one hit, and it's not Facebook."
Interviewer: "I'm not going to show anyone."

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Re:Other websites knowing your facebook account

[mehrotra.akash]

Account->privacy settings->Apps and websites Disable "Instant Personalization Pilot Program"

Re:DO NOT use UNTANGLE.com

[iamhigh]

RTFM you moron. It plainly states on the download page that it resets all your settings to friends only.

Looking forward

[Spad]

Cue an endless series of phishing sites: "Did you know that anyone on the internet can see things you post on your Facebook page? Just type in your username and password and we'll scan your profile to see if it's secure..."

Re:Looking forward

[fbjon]

They claim that because they're right. Here's the entire code for the bookmarklet, with some formatting inserted:

javascript:(
function(){
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.src = 'http://static.reclaimprivacy.org/javascripts/privacyscanner.js';
document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(script);
}
)()

And the script itself is nicely formatted. Look towards the end for the actual code that matters. Have fun.

It's really not that difficult.

[UncHellMatt]

I work in IT for a small police department, and recently have begun doing presentations for parents on Facebook and general online privacy, what steps can be taken and how to watch out for warning signs of problems. I'd say at least half the parents I talk to are completely unaware of what information is freely available online about their kids, if allowed to use such a site, or how much information their kids are making available online.

It only takes about 20 minutes to educate a neophyte, if they're willing to learn, how to lock down privacy on Facebook.... He said with a pained expression. One thing which never ceases to boggle my mind is the number of parents (and people in general) who really don't understand and don't CARE what information is out there, or what it can mean. ID theft, home intrusion, stalking, all that pretty much is "someone else's problem", producing enough SEP power to cloak an average sized nation.

While products like this are certainly useful, the bigger issue is education. If you're aware of the changes to FB and the like, setting security takes all of a minute. If you're unaware and someone tells you, and if you're not particularly inclined toward looking over security settings, it might take someone 10-20 minutes to go over them with you. If you just plain don't care, no amount of open or closed source software is going to make any difference whatsoever.

Re:Copy

[pjfontillas]

But with the source code available people who do understand code can analyze the code for just such a thing. We don't need to have everyone understand how the code works we just need some that find any flaws that then help spread the word to everybody else.

Re:Other websites knowing your facebook account

[TimmyDee]

I wish it were that easy. I have the "Instant Personalization Pilot Program" disabled on my account, but FB Connect popped up on CNN Money this morning.

What did I do? I specifically blocked any URL containing "fbconnect". Problem solved. OmniWeb let me do this using RegEx, but I'm sure the same can be done with AdBlock.

I disagree.

[AnonymousClown]

Many employers and definitely for security clearances will look at your page and all of your friends. Guilt by association.

See here under "Yes, Facebook can get you fired."

Mr. Fulmer and his wife made fun of a local church sermon in a podcast they posted online in 2005. Mr. Fulmer says it got so much attention, his boss listened to it, thought it was offensive and fired him.

The thing is, sharing things about yourself can be objectionable to an employer - and you don't know what they could be.

What may be completely harmless or even your God given right to say or do, may make you unhirable for an employer or even fired. Against the law in some cases - prove it. They can always find a legitimate and legal excuse to not hire you or fire you.

The best thing to do is pass on Facebook.

Application Boundary Enforcer

[johndoe42]

Even if you turn off instant personalization, facebook still knows every time you visit one of those partner sites. But NoScript (I leave scripts enabled globally) has a cute feature called Application Boundary Enforcer. Here's (some of) my config:

Site .facebook.com
Accept from .facebook.com
Deny

Site .fbcdn.net
Accept from .facebook.com
Accept from .fbcdn.net
Deny

Enjoy!