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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.

8 of 43 comments (clear)

  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...

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    1. 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."
  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?

  3. May? by NotPeteMcCabe · · Score: 2

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

  4. 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 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.

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    2. 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.

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      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  5. 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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