Facebook is a Dangerous Place: Watch Your Step
October 19, 2010 by zachary.triano
I just saw on the news today that it was discovered that when you go onto facebooks apps such as farmville, mafia wars, some of the quizzes you take, etc, these third parties companies take in users’ Facebook identification numbers. The number then tied into a user’s profile and could identify the person by name, no matter how secure his or her privacy. The companies tracking you could then build a clear profile of your habits. If they used other Internet tracking technology to keep a record of the websites you visit and then married that to your name, this would be a clear violation of Facebook’s policies, which has consumer groups up in arms. The ads that appear on the sides on facebook are generated because the third party apps track what you do and know what you like.
Many others worry about the data being used to profile individuals for future business scenarios, pointing out that the information could be sold to people screening you for a potential job, insurance companies determining if you can get health care or even a bank wondering if you are a good risk for a loan.
1. Social networking sites are not charity organizations; they are advertising to you, they are collecting data, and while Facebook says this was a mistake, be aware that information breaches happen online.
2. If you have a Facebook account, it is well worth the time to lock down the privacy settings. It may seem complicated, but we have clear instructions on what the privacy settings mean HERE: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/facebooks-privacy-controls-work/story?id=10760108.
3. Some of the worst offenders in this particular breach were from applications within Facebook; the invitations where you have to accept terms of service from a third party. If privacy is paramount to you, we suggest declining the invitations unless you have time to research who they are and what they are doing with your information.
Full Article: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/facebook-privacy-scandal-facebooks-watergate/story?id=11912201&page=2
What do you all think of this?
4 Responses to “Facebook is a Dangerous Place: Watch Your Step”
I think this was an interesting and helpful article. I sometimes go on facebook apps and games as well. I am now going to be more careful when using these apps and games. I also just fixed my privacy settings based on the links that you provided. It is kind of scary to know that third parties may have access to your private information you put online. It is important to be cautious about what you put on facebook because it can affect your future job or even a loan from a bank that you apply for. Thanks for the tips, this post was really helpful.