How much does Facebook know about you?

[kenny]

The story: http://www.taz.de/!81248/

A video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJvAUqs3Ofg

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Which is why I will NEVER be on facebook,, no matter who asks me to friend them.....even Richard Armitage {sigh}

 

[Maisie]

I'm sure there are lots of companies that know lots of things about me. Nothing is private anymore.

 

[JewelFreak]

Nothing. I'm not on it either, for these very reasons.

This sort of thing gives me the chills. We ourselves are creating a world where every citizen can be visible to authorities at all times. Present authorities are benign in its usage -- but it's naive & foolish to believe the opposite could never happen. Cameras on most streets can become cameras on every street in days. (Practically has, in the UK.) Cars tracked through GPS systems, iphones, computer useage, police vehicles with building x-ray capabilities, satellite surveillance, the list goes on. Developed for good, these things are easily turned to repressive applications on a scale nobody ever imagined. Not in our lifetimes, but our children's or grandchildren's?

--- Laurie

 

[kenny]

I'm sure there are lots of companies that know lots of things about me. Nothing is private anymore.

It's not that black and white, and I'd not just throw my hands up and give up.

Have a FB account with your real name, get an iPhone, enter sweepstakes, fully fill out and mail in product registration cards and you will be less private.
Do none of those things and you will be more private, not 100% perfectly private, but more private.

 

[indecisive]

Couldn't a lot of that be said about your email provider as well?

 

[JewelFreak]

Yes, Indecisive. Much of it. And companies you don't know are there. When I had computer troubles I called a techie for help. He found TWELVE tracking cookies on my hard drive -- I clean out my computer obsessively, like 5 times a day, delete search info, cookies, history, etc. You need a special cleaner for tracking cookies, however, because they're hidden where you'll never find them. It's freaky to me to be tailed virtually by Mystery-Man.

Question, Kenny: One thing people mention about FB is getting in touch w/long-lost friends. How can you do that if you don't use your real name? (You can tell I don't have a FB account.)

--- Laurie

 

[Kaleigh]

My FB account is fort knox. But am sure they know a bunch about me, my likes and what not... Heck so does anyone that reads PS and other forums. I don't use my real name on FB. I did that on purpose not to be found by people I didn't love in High school, etc... If you know me, you find me.. It's pretty simple really.

So no am not worried for now. Could that change??

Things vary...

LOL!!!

 

[Arkteia]

I don't think not having FB helps in any way. We participate in forums, it is not difficult to figure out our political views at least, or where we live, or where we plan to go ("best place to visit in August" or something like it), problems our kids have. Unknowingly, we provide tons of information. Skype is worse than FB. Google + is not private at all.

 

[kenny]

Question, Kenny: One thing people mention about FB is getting in touch w/long-lost friends. How can you do that if you don't use your real name? (You can tell I don't have a FB account.)

--- Laurie

You can't.
I don't want to do that anyway.
If that is what you want FB is the perfect tool for that, and you may decide the the benefit to you is worth the down side, like zillions of other FB users.

On the other hand, you could try the old fashioned way, write to old friends and them to give your contact info to others, and ask them to pass it on.

 

[MissStepcut]

I don't care in the least. Why would I? I think my generation has a different attitude about privacy than my mother's does. I do lie to facebook about which ads interest me, though. I was sick of the ads for crappy engagement rings.

 

[kenny]

I don't care in the least. Why would I? I think my generation has a different attitude about privacy than my mother's does.

Right on!
People vary.

You and your mom are both perfect.

 

[yssie]

I don't have facebook.

I can control *my* account, but I can't control my friends. And I know that if you search for me you can't find me despite some friends tagging pics with my full name... and I don't particularly care for people knowing everything about where I was and what I did at my bachelorette party in two minutes and two clicks, for example.

Sure, if you really wanted, you could probably follow link after link and get enough to locate me. But why make it easy?

 

[iLander]

Recently, Facebook started using facial recognition software to tag people in other people's photos. Without anyone's permission, I think. So, even if you don't tag your kids, if Uncle Joe or Aunt Sally does, your kids could be all over the net in seconds. And Grandma doesn't know enough to privatize her settings, so . . .

We have met the enemy (or big brother) and he is us . . .

 

[Haven]

I have a Facebook account with a fake last name. DH's fake last name matches mine. We are careful about the friends we choose on FB. We have our privacy settings set so that we feel comfortable.

I love Facebook for the photos. I take a lot of pictures, and I like sharing them with people I love. And I LOVE seeing others' photos. Especially those who travel a lot.

I just opened a Twitter account and cannot believe that it took me so long to do so. I'm following a lot of writers, publishers, literary agents, and educators, and I've learned so much in the few short weeks that I've been on it. I'm really enjoying it, but I think it's all in the choices you make.

 

[zipzapgirl]

I have three big issues with it.
First, they keep fiddling with the privacy controls and you have to stay on top of it constantly to avoid over-sharing with the general public through google searches. Super annoying - it's ridiculous that the founder of FB keeps getting all of his personal photos exposed for this same reason. If he can't stay on top of it (or get his staff to)...
Second, I hate it when people have 10,000 friends that they neither know nor have any relationship with. That means when they post pictures of me (or my kid!) there are tons of people out there that can see them even when they only "Show Friends", much less "Friends of Friends".
Third, all of those games collect information on you and provide it directly to marketers and other people. I'm pretty sure some of the games are created in order to get info. And those games collect info not just on you, but all of your friends. So if you're playing Mafia Wars or Farmville or taking a survey, you're giving out my info in addition to yours, dear friend.
Uggghh, just writing this makes me want to destroy my account, but then, it wouldn't disappear anyway, so what's the point?

 

[zipzapgirl]

Recently, Facebook started using facial recognition software to tag people in other people's photos. Without anyone's permission, I think. So, even if you don't tag your kids, if Uncle Joe or Aunt Sally does, your kids could be all over the net in seconds. And Grandma doesn't know enough to privatize her settings, so . . .

We have met the enemy (or big brother) and he is us . . .

This. Not cool.

 

[kenny]

Uggghh, just writing this makes me want to destroy my account, but then, it wouldn't disappear anyway, so what's the point?

IMHO, the point is if you delete your content then your account, like I did, FB would only make 2 zillion dollars off your content instead of 20 zillion bucks.

I won't play.

 

[iLander]

Here's an article from CBS about the dangers of Facebook recognition software;

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20088678-501465.html

And just below it there's a button you can click to "connect with CBS on Facebook".

I believe they call that irony.

 

[monarch64]

I don't really care what FB knows about me. I care more about the fact that the local supermarket is all up in my business because I have to use that damn shopper's card every time I make a purchase to get the sale prices and to get fuel discounts. FB doesn't know how often I'm buying milk, how I paid for it, what I wore that day, what I drove, etc.

Also, I CAN and do control things my friends or other people post on FB. Just last week a woman who knows my husband but not me asked me to take a picture with her, and I said "no, I don't want a picture of us on FB." She gave me a strange look, but didn't seem too terribly offended. I don't see what the big deal is about this privacy issue with FB. But then again, I feel very in control of all aspects of my life and don't worry about stuff like this--that's just me.

 

[kenny]

I don't really care what FB knows about me. I care more about the fact that the local supermarket is all up in my business because I have to use that damn shopper's card every time I make a purchase to get the sale prices and to get fuel discounts. FB doesn't know how often I'm buying milk, how I paid for it, what I wore that day, what I drove, etc.

Also, I CAN and do control things my friends or other people post on FB. Just last week a woman who knows my husband but not me asked me to take a picture with her, and I said "no, I don't want a picture of us on FB." She gave me a strange look, but didn't seem too terribly offended. I don't see what the big deal is about this privacy issue with FB. But then again, I feel very in control of all aspects of my life and don't worry about stuff like this--that's just me.

People just vary.

People at both extremes of this issue are perfect.

You don't see because you, and just about everyone, cling to the ubiquitous myth that one way is right for all.

I know many consider me an A-whole for bringing this up again and again, but people just keep posting examples of it again and again.

 

[monarch64]

I don't really care what FB knows about me. I care more about the fact that the local supermarket is all up in my business because I have to use that damn shopper's card every time I make a purchase to get the sale prices and to get fuel discounts. FB doesn't know how often I'm buying milk, how I paid for it, what I wore that day, what I drove, etc.

Also, I CAN and do control things my friends or other people post on FB. Just last week a woman who knows my husband but not me asked me to take a picture with her, and I said "no, I don't want a picture of us on FB." She gave me a strange look, but didn't seem too terribly offended. I don't see what the big deal is about this privacy issue with FB. But then again, I feel very in control of all aspects of my life and don't worry about stuff like this--that's just me.

People just vary.

People at both extremes of this issue are perfect.

You don't see because you, and just about everyone, cling to the ubiquitous myth that one way is right for all.

I know many consider me an A-whole for bringing this up again and again, but people just keep posting examples of it again and again.

I don't consider you an *******, Kenny, I don't even know you. I do consider you a broken record. I don't care if others are weirded out by the privacy issue, I just don't see it their way. I don't know what's so offensive about saying so.

 

[kenny]

I don't really care what FB knows about me. I care more about the fact that the local supermarket is all up in my business because I have to use that damn shopper's card every time I make a purchase to get the sale prices and to get fuel discounts. FB doesn't know how often I'm buying milk, how I paid for it, what I wore that day, what I drove, etc.

Also, I CAN and do control things my friends or other people post on FB. Just last week a woman who knows my husband but not me asked me to take a picture with her, and I said "no, I don't want a picture of us on FB." She gave me a strange look, but didn't seem too terribly offended. I don't see what the big deal is about this privacy issue with FB. But then again, I feel very in control of all aspects of my life and don't worry about stuff like this--that's just me.

People just vary.

People at both extremes of this issue are perfect.

You don't see because you, and just about everyone, cling to the ubiquitous myth that one way is right for all.

I know many consider me an A-whole for bringing this up again and again, but people just keep posting examples of it again and again.

I don't consider you an *******, Kenny, I don't even know you. I do consider you a broken record. I don't care if others are weirded out by the privacy issue, I just don't see it their way. I don't know what's so offensive about saying so.

No problem.
Nothing you wrote offended me.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

This is why I won't do "games" on my real account. You grant them permission to access your profile which is something I never felt comfortable with. I am sure there are risks having a FB page but for me the benefits outweigh the cons. It is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends.

 

[Skippy123]

I don't really care what FB knows about me. I care more about the fact that the local supermarket is all up in my business because I have to use that damn shopper's card every time I make a purchase to get the sale prices and to get fuel discounts. FB doesn't know how often I'm buying milk, how I paid for it, what I wore that day, what I drove, etc.

Also, I CAN and do control things my friends or other people post on FB. Just last week a woman who knows my husband but not me asked me to take a picture with her, and I said "no, I don't want a picture of us on FB." She gave me a strange look, but didn't seem too terribly offended. I don't see what the big deal is about this privacy issue with FB. But then again, I feel very in control of all aspects of my life and don't worry about stuff like this--that's just me.

I hate that!!! My hubby refuses to shop where you need a shoppers card because of that!

 

[kenny]

I won't get a shopper's card either. (though I am a loyal Costco member)
I've heard courts have subpoenaed those records for trials to prove a person was somewhere or bought this or that.
I'm not a criminal and have nothing to hide but that just creeps me out.

I rarely go to a supermarket chain but when I get to the cashier I just say I don't have a card and invariably they reach down and pull out a card for that purpose.

I'll bet the computer really scratches its head trying to understand THAT customer's buying patterns.

 

[HopeDream]

Facebook knows some about me, but not enough to be a problem.

If you wouldn't do it on Main Street, don't do it on the internet - the internet is a public place.

Any time I'm anywhere on the internet I imagine myself on stage in front of the world in my underwear. I expect every trace of me can be tracked some how - every link clicked, address entered, comment posted, page viewed.

I don't care. I've worked with large volumes of data. Just because you have the ability to track individual things about people, doesn't mean you actually do - it's a total PITA. I would be worried if I had a pissed-off hacker ex or something like that. But I don't think I'm interesting enough to be a target for any maleficence. I'm boring and slightly poor.

As far as stores tracking me - be my guest. Economic tracking is one way I have a voice - money talks and I vote with every dollar I spend. Yes, I buy organic bananas - please cary more of them, Please keep stocking my favorite teas and dairy-free products (milk allergy). No I don't buy shoddy products or pre-made over-processed crap. I Am The New Consumer...Cater To My Whims!

(Guess what generation I belong to )

 

[movie zombie]

http://www.theonion.com/video/cias-facebook-program-dramatically-cut-agencys-cos,19753/