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Privacy Groups Ask FTC For Facebook Investigation
An anonymous reader writes "10 public-interest groups have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook's various business practices. This demand comes right after two similar ones this week: two U.S. congressmen asked the FTC to investigate how Facebook's cookies behave, and Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner has agreed to conduct a privacy audit of Facebook. Given that the social network's international headquarters is in Dublin, the latter is the more serious one as the large majority of the site's users could be affected."
LIKE
Short of discovering that each of Facebook's datacenters is actually a vast, nearly empty, mausoleum, lit only by the unhallowed glow of Masonic runes drawn in the blood of innocents and the blinding glare of the all-seeing-eye atop the pyramid in the center; could there be any revelation about their privacy practices worse than those that can already be inferred from prior activity?
So, some politicos are going to investigate. They'll wave a magic wand of approval, or they'll wave a magic wand of disapproval. There's no way of knowing if this investigation will be good or bad. Maybe if we knew something about the individuals involved with the investigation, we could make some guesses.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Perhaps because they already are publicly traded, or take a decent amount of government work. Somehow the Facebook wheels need to be greased.
Are they just being cookie monsters and user trackers with their cookies and shoddy privacy policies, or are they actually committing crimes? What gives the various government groups, ones NOT in the executive branch, authority to conduct any of this?
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
I have never had a Facebook account, and never will, because they add absolutely zero value over private listservs, forums, blogs, and websites.
Google on the other hand, I use very much for searching and other services. And it seems to me that Google collects even more valuable information than Facebook.
So why aren't these groups going after Google? ....
I cancelled my Facebook account a few weeks back after their last round of changes. I have no intention of using it again. Both Facebook and Google track everything you do. I think both should get nailed. In all likelihood, some Congresscritters will be paid off and this investigation will go nowhere.
If you have a problem with your privacy on Facebook then simply don't use it.
this is my sig
The Federal Trade Commission is part of the executive branch. You can look it up.
Why don't people just learn how to, you know, use the PRIVACY SETTINGS ALREADY IN PLACE instead of complaining to the government about a percieved privacy "issue"?
Why not Google? Alter Relationship I have never had a Facebook account, and never will, because they add absolutely zero value over private listservs, forums, blogs, and websites. Google on the other hand, I use very much for searching and other services. And it seems to me that Google collects even more valuable information than Facebook. So why aren't these groups going after Google? ....http://www.caps-clothings.com
Facebook's privacy settings are rendered useless at a regular basis when they decide to add new "features" requiring you to comb through and opt out of everything again. When I first created my account I went through and locked everything down in settings and since then have had to regularly hunt down leaks in my information because added something which enabled stuff all over again.
I'm this close to beginning a campaign to poison my information and start closing down my account...no really, I mean it! When I have to do more fiddling with Facebook's settings than I actually do reading or posting it stops being fun and becomes work. And who needs that?
Have a Virgin Mobile USA smartphone? Give VMRoms.com a try!
This is just noise from the TWATTER lovers the see facebook as a threat to the TWATTER way of life sad bastards TWATTER == twitter for those of little brain across the pond .
for crying out loud!
it's their website, they can do with it whatever they damn well please.
and you decided by your own free will to sign up with facebook and you decided by your own free will to give them all your private information.
it's not your website, so you do not get to decide how things work.
if you don't like it - then simply setup your own website and stop using facebook.
In a recent argument I had with police, regarding my photos. They tried telling me anything posted on Facebook is
"Public Domain"
, and anything placed on the internet (in general),
"... the law is unclear on who exactly owns the photograph after it is published on the internet."
Which is a load of bollocks.
So I quoted them Facebook, "
2. Sharing Your Content and Information
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.
To which they replied,
"4. When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture)."
as their argument as to why it is in public domain. This is in spite of the fact that my photos are (and settings in general) are set to 'Friends Only'.
So, the officer I was arguing with basically interprets all 'photos' etc on facebook as being in the public domain. Even though my privacy settings are NOT set to public the officer in question claims they effectively are because the photos are on facebook. (I'm not going to publish the entire email exchange).
The fact that the law regards all content (or at least all MY content) on facebook as being 'Public Domain' even when Privacy settings are NOT public is a worry. Yes, I know, best not to have a facebook account. I did delete my account once before years ago, but the problem was my old school friends etc then didn't keep in contact as they lost the 'convenience' factor. Especially as a social network keeps everyone in one place and able to talk as a group rather than people having to take the time to 'email' each other.
What is allowed and what is ethical are two entirely different things.
The way Facebook adds new things that break old privacy settings are borderline unethical. That is what these complains are all about.
In actuality, this is a Tax fiction, used to avoid taxation on their massive EU and US/Canada earnings, and there is pressure by the EEC, since Ireland's economy is failing due to lack of tax collection from the Rich and Corporations like FB, MSFT, etc, to restore tax levels to a more common historic level.
But this does not provide them with a legal defense against violating National Privacy rights, as any Scientologist in Germany knows.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Bend over and let me deeply investigate your files, your communications and all of your employees or associates as you just might be in violation of my privacy. Anybody see and problem with that? Worse yet the right to privacy is left out of the Bill of Rights and this may be a great example of why no right to privacy is part of our Constitution to begin with.