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Privacy Watchdogs Want Facebook, Datalogix Deal Probed
Nerval's Lobster writes "The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) want the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine the new alliance between Facebook and Datalogix. According to the Financial Times, Facebook and Datalogix have teamed up to measure the effects of some 45 marketing campaigns so far, with the two companies matching consumer information from loyalty-card programs to the identifiers (such as email addresses) used to set up Facebook accounts. Combining those datasets could offer insight into whether consumers are actually heading out and buying certain products or services advertised on Facebook. While the two companies apparently strip personal information from the datasets, EPIC and CDD nonetheless have significant concerns over how that data is handled, and by whom. 'Facebook is matching the personal information of users with personal information held by Datalogix,' EPIC wrote in a Sept. 27 posting on its website, hinting that such a deal could violate the social network's previous agreement with the FTC prohibiting it 'from changing privacy settings without the affirmative consent of users or misrepresenting the privacy or security of users' personal information.'"
Such bull. The FTC should just recommend that people stay away from Facebook, like the state department advises travelers to stay out of Pakistan.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Close your Facebook account.
If you make a website, you can't identify areas in how to make your product more profitable, or in Facebook's case, profitable. I don't see how this violates a users privacy. You can't sell me the line, "They can identify and provide you with relevant personal ads," because Facebook can do that with outside help easily already. "We noticed you clicked more ads displaying purses than shoes." First, that's not rocket science to make that deduction. Secondly, they do not need to hire an outside firm to actually see that. Third and finally, Facebook is not interested in violating users privacy by bringing in an outside firm to do this because they would introduce this as a new Facebook feature (Remember beacon?). They wouldn't want to spend money on having someone else saying this is how you should target your userbase more effectively.
This is more of asking an outside firm what areas within our product are profitable and what isn't. Getting an outside perspective removes influence.
Then they could just subscribe to Datalogix's wall and they would know all the details. Sheesh, c'mon.
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
and realize how they are harming their privacy,and the long lasting implications?
Especially with the latest stories of FB posting private posts to timelines, FB asking users to out friends with aliases, and FB deleting what they deem fake 'likes'. /. recently)
(All on
Much "news" about the lack of rational (to consumers) privacy guidelines from Facebook is not newsworthy to /. as this audience has Facebook's number down. And similar to our data with them, their secret is not safe with us.
If you think your facebook data is perfectly looked after with reasonable data management policies, you don't belong here. (I.e. every article should read: Facebook STILL Doesn't Give a Fuck)