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Facebook Hit By German Antitrust Probe Over User Data (cnet.com)

Posted by yaelk on from the is-facebook-overstepping-the-boundary dept.

Regulators in Germany wonder whether the social network may be abusing market power by not being clear with consumers about how its using their data. Privacy advocates have argued that Facebook, along with a handful of other companies, is leveraging its dominance as a social network to harvest personal information, effectively trampling on privacy laws. The German probe, announced today, will investigate the violation of data protection provisions.

43 comments

  1. You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Just don't join or use FaceBook?

    Simple..easy to do. And hey, you might even make closer, better friends in meatspace, by you know..actually talking to them in person, and doing things with them...

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sure, until they find out you're not on Facebook, wonder what kind of sociopathic weirdo you are, and find an awkward excuse to move on.

    2. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      At which point I thank them for self-identifying themselves as someone not worth spending my personal time with.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    3. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Teun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's exactly the problem, it only takes two known idiots like a cousin in Denmark and a sister in The Netherlands that upload their address book and you're in.

      Meaning I got a mail from Farcebook inviting me to join 'my friends' as part of their harvest.
      At least the second mail had a link to a place where I could 'unsubscribe' from further contacts.

      At the same time I'm sure they've assembled a file on me including tagged photo's and whatever that I don't ever want to share with them.

      I am all for a legal demand they wipe these sort of unsolicited entries in their databases and if ever someone starts a legal proceeding to that effect I'll be happy to contribute.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    4. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by TroII · · Score: 1

      Just don't join or use FaceBook? Simple..easy to do.

      They're tracking you anyway and building a shadow profile about you. All those "Share this on Facebook" links that permeate the web are phoning home to Facebook with the URLs of the sites you visit, and they're compiling a dossier of all your history. Cross reference once or twice with a database they rent from Doubleclick or wherever and they know exactly who you are. Even if you think you don't have a Facebook account, you do: you just haven't claimed it yet.

      Belgium has recently made this practice illegal, hopefully Germany will follow suit.

      --
      "If there was a gay Afro-Puertorican Linux distribution, I'd give it a try" ~lucm
    5. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Sure, until they find out you're not on Facebook, wonder what kind of sociopathic weirdo you are, and find an awkward excuse to move on.

      So far.....not a problem at all.

      It actually makes for a funny conversation tool....I joke that they just met one of the last 3 guys on earth that isn't on FB, usually gets a laugh and we go from there.

      I have no problem getting emails or phone numbers of folks I meet for later contact.

      I am pondering at some point *maybe* trying to get on FB, as that it would be good for a business idea I'm looking to get into that needs self promotion.

      But so far, I can't find a way to get on FB as a business only...I'd be ok with doing a business front, but from what I see at this point, is that FB requires a personal acct. before you can open a business one.

      So, does Coca Cola really have some employee there with a personal acct that the whole company uses for their presence on FB? What happens when that person quits/dies?

      But back on track...aside from that, I can't really think of any compelling need to be on FB or any other social media. The risk of privacy is just too great for any value I can perceive to this point in my life.

      And it certainly hasn't hurt me meeting friends or women I want to date.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    6. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just don't join or use FaceBook?

      Simple..easy to do.

      First, you also have to avoid social contact with facebook users, which might still be easy.

      Second, you also have to avoid triggering any Facebook tracking loaded by third party sites. Do you see a share or like button with the Facebook logo? The script used to load it just pushed a new entry to the profile Facebook has on a person with your browser, OS, Hardware, current IP and browsing habits. After a few weeks of tracking you might as well fill in the profile yourself.

    7. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've never made a profile, yet I'm on FaceBook because stupid friends I didn't even choose, but came with the package of being born and going to school, have tagged me on local events like football, hiking club, cycling club, fair, etc...

      "Simple..easy to do", that would mean never ever thinking of making any friend because they might be on FaceBook sharing photo's with your name, email and home address tagged to it. No it's not that simple or easy. People want friends. People need friends. FaceBook thinks they invented inter human relationship and capitalizes on billions years of evolution as if it was theirs invention.

    8. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Maritz · · Score: 1

      What an original point. Did you come up with that one yourself? Go outside and play, stop staring at that screen. Genius.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    9. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Works both ways. I think unironic use of a phrase like "self-identifying themselves as someone not worth spending my personal time with" would be enough to send a lot of people the other direction. But hey you're cool with that, because you only hang out with fellow badasses that don't have social network accounts. ;)

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    10. Re:You know..there is an EASY way to avoid this... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      I got tired of the trolls and the orgy of mis-information. If you think less of me because I prefer not to waste my time sifting though the deluge of tripe then I don't have to consent to your presence.

      Cya. :)

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  2. Obvious? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Facebook is "harvesting" user data? Isn't that the #1 most obvious point when signing up to Facebook in the first place? Which idiot in the world doesn't know this already?

    1. Re:Obvious? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Facebook is "harvesting" user data? Isn't that the #1 most obvious point when signing up to Facebook in the first place? Which idiot in the world doesn't know this already?

      They know, but the question was "by not being clear with consumers about how its using their data." That is a totally different ballgame! Granted, most users doesn't care, but the law does (at least in Europe.)

    2. Re:Obvious? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is clearly stated on page 288 of the EULA that you agree to when signing up to use this optional, free service. No reason for governments to make all these arbitrary rules.

  3. May? by NotPeteMcCabe · · Score: 2

    May be abusing market power? That's their whole business model.

  4. I thought they deal was cut by Notorious+G · · Score: 1

    Didn't Zuckerberg cut the deal with Merkel to censor some stuff? I figured this would be pro quo for the quid.

    1. Re:I thought they deal was cut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. He did not cut a deal to censor stuff and I doubt Merkel would want that -- Facebook are violating enough laws as it is.

    2. Re:I thought they deal was cut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But yeah mark zuckerberg was in berlin this week, and news was full of it. Mark while he visits the chancellor, mark answering questions about his dog, mark jogging through Berlin. Mark this mark that. He was in berlin for the week to open a new Berlin lobby office for Facebook to influence german lawmaking. And the lawmakers write laws like he tells them to, because they want companies like his in germany too.

    3. Re:I thought they deal was cut by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      The cartel authority is independent of the government and Merkel. It is operation on its own. Every time someone is building a monopoly or even worse abusing their market power, they investigate them. As a result they can add extra regulations on your business.

    4. Re:I thought they deal was cut by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      You should stop using springer media and other similar outlets. I have barely seen any of this Sugar-Hill (German Zuckerberg) guy in the news.

    5. Re:I thought they deal was cut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just visit tagesschau.de, for which I pay anyway, whether I want it or not. They are a bit left but they are mostly a good source for news. Usually they don't do stuff like this, that's why i wondered so much about it. When they cover a topic its usually in the relevant newspapers germany wide (süddeutsche, welt, faz, etc).

      And berg is rather a mountain than a hill :)

    6. Re:I thought they deal was cut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      News to me. Are you saying there is an entity that is not part of the German government that has the market power to regulate like the German government but can do as they please to whom they please and they call themselves The Cartel Authority?

      Do they have a island shaped like a skull for their headquarters?

    7. Re:I thought they deal was cut by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Weird isn't it? It is almost like there is such a thing as separation of powers.

  5. HEY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If Iraq and Iran had to show up their labs to prove they didn't produced weapons of mass destruction, why can't Face$hit and Appl£ be more honest and open their source?

  6. Hostage by neghvar1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Considering whats going on with Facebook in Germany and Brazil, if I was the CEO, I'd say release our execs (Brazil) and cease your draconian regulations (Germany) or we will block all access to Facebook from your country. When your citizens try to access Facebook, they will be redirected to a site stating to contact your government to release our execs and cease their draconian regulation or you will never see Facebook again.

    1. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, why not? It is not like Facebook is a company that makes money from people visting their site. Shareholders will totally accept such pointless censorship.

    2. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please do this in the US as well. No one needs Facebook and it is not healthy for you.

    3. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh my, brazils and germans would happily just block it forver and let some inside social thing to grow.

    4. Re:Hostage by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      First, if some guy working for FB in Brazil did something illegal, he gets arrested. If a company tries to force a government to hinder police and courts to do their work then this would no longer be a free and democratic country. Second, FB is investigated by the cartel authority over market power abuse. Many companies get investigated for many different things, like VW for rigging cars. Sometimes they get caught and have to pay for it. For example, IBM was forced let another company write the OS for their computer and they were no longer allowed to announce vaporware. All this was done in the US by similar regulators. And now FB is maybe abusing its market power. If so, they will be regulated and most likely have to pay a fine.

    5. Re:Hostage by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      You think a country that once had a secret service with files on everyone is going to be sympathetic to your complaint about laws forbidding you from doing the same?

      Germans like their privacy laws. If Facebook forces them to choose, I doubt they will pick Facebook.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad that the U.S.A. couldn't get Fakebook to deny access to anyone from the U.S.A.! That would be the greatest thing since sliced bread!

      Actually the greatest thing would be for fakebook and twitter to dissapear into a black hole, never to be seen again!

    7. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the rest of the world goes "Oh , OK..."

      You do realise that the EU and China economies are BIGGER than the US and that the US only makes up 4% of the worlds population.

      Long gone are the days where the US can dictate to anyone

    8. Re:Hostage by gweihir · · Score: 2

      Germany does not need Facebook, but Facebook needs Germany. You have been listening to the likes of Trump too much.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    9. Re:Hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In what respect are German regulations 'draconian'? Germany is one of the few countries that takes privacy seriously and while not perfect, their regulations are better than in any other country I know of. I just wish they would act a bit more strongly against secret services (foreign and domestic) violating people's privacy.

    10. Re:Hostage by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1

      You think a country that once had a secret service with files on everyone is going to be sympathetic to your complaint about laws forbidding you from doing the same?

      Yeah, Facebook should be fucking scared about operating in the USA.

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  7. Utah style extortion coming on to the Rhine? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Merkel and her minions are just looking for new ways to creatively get some of the billions back out of Zuk, Gates, Apple and Google. Get the public all worked up about their precious web browsing data and bingo rake in the cash. Next in line will be West Texas if Germany succeeds in wringing some serious cash out of all of them the way they are going at it. France is at it to. What a joke.

    1. Re:Utah style extortion coming on to the Rhine? by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      If you violate laws you get into trouble with the authorities. International companies try to cheat nations and do not pay their taxes. Not in Europe and not in the US. However, we as the people of both regions/countries cannot accept that. There is no extra law for the rich. Therefore, the sates have to force the companies to follow the rules, and if FB is not able to do so they get punished.

  8. Facebook will shadow-profile you regardless by rsborg · · Score: 2

    Just don't join or use FaceBook?

    Simple..easy to do. And hey, you might even make closer, better friends in meatspace, by you know..actually talking to them in person, and doing things with them...

    Have you ever heard of Facebook shadow profiles [1]? Maybe it's not as easy as not signing up or quitting. Because they will still profile you. Forever. Just think of Facebook as the metastasized version of the government files on you.

    [1] http://www.digitaltrends.com/s...

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    Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    1. Re:Facebook will shadow-profile you regardless by dave420 · · Score: 1

      Of course he has not. He's being his usual opinionated self, missing most of the facts, but so sure in his awesomeness that he's judging and condemning away regardless.

    2. Re:Facebook will shadow-profile you regardless by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Have you ever heard of Facebook shadow profiles [1]? Maybe it's not as easy as not signing up or quitting. Because they will still profile you. Forever. Just think of Facebook as the metastasized version of the government files on you.

      NoScript works pretty well....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  9. May be? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    More like is.

    Data privacy is the law.

    By the way, just because I'm American doesn't mean I don't have rights from another country, like Canada with strong privacy in the Constitution or any EU country.

    Enforceable by Treaty. Which the US didn't have to sign.

    But did.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  10. i hope that german probe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    was the size and shape of a large rusty crowbar..

  11. Yes, there is an easy way: stop breaking the law. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bank robbers can't get off the hook by telling people that the easy solution is not to put their money in banks, so why the fuck is FB allowed to try the same dodge?

    Because it's a merkin corporation?

    Fuck yeah.