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Top Facebook Apps Violate Privacy Terms

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the dying-from-not-surprise dept.

cgriffin21 writes "No stranger to privacy concerns, Facebook is once again in the privacy spotlight, following a Wall Street Journal report that some popular Facebook applications leak personal information to advertisers. 'Many of the popular applications, or 'apps,' on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information — in effect, providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names — to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies,' according to The Wall Street Journal, which wrote about Facebook Sunday in the latest installment of its recent 'What They Know' series about advertising and the Internet."

6 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Re:i'm gay for linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not only does "obvious troll is obvious" work here, but you posted in the wrong fucking thread. Linux thread is the next story down you raging idiot. What is the world coming to when people can't even troll properly.

  2. Top Facebook Apps Violate Privacy Terms by obyom · · Score: 5, Funny

    No stranger to privacy concerns, Facebook is one again in in the privacy spotlight...

    Isn't "privacy spotlight" an oxymoron?

  3. Re:facebook is the end of privacy as we know it... by Culture20 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It makes me wonder why Facebook had a privacy "policy" for app writers when they could have easily scrubbed data before letting Zinga et al get their grubby mitts on them. A "Do not walk on grass" sign carries less weight than a groundskeeper, security guard, or a fence.

  4. Re:facebook is the end of privacy as we know it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It makes me wonder why Facebook had a privacy "policy" for app writers when they could have easily scrubbed data before letting Zinga et al get their grubby mitts on them. A "Do not walk on grass" sign carries less weight than a groundskeeper, security guard, or a fence.

    Because that wouldn't have made Mark Zuckerberg stinking rich.

  5. Re:Also in the news by The+Clockwork+Troll · · Score: 5, Funny

    I recently purchased an ad on facebook for my company's product.

    I should have known something was awry when the following were offered as substitution variables in the ad copy:

    $FIRST_NAME
    $LAST_NAME
    $WHAT_MOMMY_CALLS_THEM
    $GENDER
    $AGE_RANGE
    $INCOME_LEVEL
    $INCOME_LEVEL_REPORTED_ON_EHARMONY
    $SEX_PARTNERS_IN_PAST_6_MONTHS
    $SEX_PARTNERS_IN_PAST_6_MONTHS_REALLY
    $POLITICAL_PARTY
    $POLITICAL_PARTY_THEY_ACTUALLY_VOTE_FOR
    $SPOUSE_BIRTHDAY
    $MISTRESS_BIRTHDAY
    $FACEBOOK_USER_THEY_STALK_MOST
    $CREDIT_CARD_LAST_4_DIGITS
    $CREDIT_CARD_FIRST_12_DIGITS ...

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  6. For the nth time already by TheABomb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not a "privacy leak" if you type the $#!% in yourself!

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