Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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.

2 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...

    --
    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 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."