2007-04-24

A Couple of Reasons NOT to Use Facebook

There are lots of reasons not to use Facebook, and their privacy policy is one of them! Before you read the following quotes, check out this flash animation (I'm sure it will put you in the right mood):
Does what happens in the Facebook stay in the Facebook?


quote: Wired - Lessons From the Facebook Riots
"Unfortunately, Facebook can change the rules whenever it wants. Its Privacy Policy is 2,800 words long, and ends with a notice that it can change at any time. How many members ever read that policy, let alone read it regularly and check for changes?

Not that a Privacy Policy is the same as a contract. Legally, Facebook owns all data that members upload to the site. It can sell the data to advertisers, marketers and data brokers. (Note: There is no evidence that Facebook does any of this.) It can allow the police to search its databases upon request. It can add new features that change who can access what personal data, and how."


quote: Wikipedia - Facebook
"According to the policy, "We may use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services and other users of Facebook, to supplement your profile."
...
Facebook has assured worried users the next privacy policy will not include the clause about information collection and has denied any data mining is being done "for the CIA or any other group."[23] However, the possibility of data mining by private individuals unaffiliated with Facebook remains open, as evidenced by the fact that two MIT students were able to download, using an automated script, over 70,000 Facebook profiles from four schools (MIT, NYU, the University of Oklahoma, and Harvard) as part of a research project on Facebook privacy published on December 14th, 2005.

Another clause that some users are critical of reserves the right to sell users' data to private companies, stating "We may share your information with third parties, including responsible companies with which we have a relationship." This concern has also been addressed by spokesman Chris Hughes who said "Simply put, we have never provided our users' information to third party companies, nor do we intend to."[25] It is unclear if Facebook plans to remove that clause as well."

4 comments:

Niklas said...

Yeah, when you read all that fine print it's kinda scary what your getting yourself into... I'm one of the idiots that are using Facebook, but perhaps I just like to be watched?
Btw, you should read an article about just this right here:
http://www.dinside.no/php/art.php?id=378604

:D

eulogy said...

AN article like it's ANY article... It's YOUR article ;)

Isobel said...

It was a good article on how to use facebook safer. However, the main point should be that one should not use facebook at all!

Anonymous said...

Exactly!