Thread: Six reasons to hate Facebook...

Six reasons to hate Facebook's new anti-privacy system, "Connections"

Cory Doctorow at 10:12 PM May 4, 2010

Wondering exactly why people are so pissed about Facebook's latest display of contempt for user privacy? The Electronic Frontier Frontier Foundation's Kurt Opsahl has a good, short article explaining just what's going on with the new "Connections" anti-feature:

1. Facebook will not let you share any of this information without using Connections. You cannot opt-out of Connections. If you refuse to play ball, Facebook will remove all unlinked information from your profile.

2. Facebook will not respect your old privacy settings in this transition. For example, if you had previously sought to share your Interests with "Only Friends," Facebook will now ignore this and share your Connections with "Everyone."

3. Facebook has removed your ability to restrict its use of this information. The new privacy controls only affect your information's "Visibility," not whether it is "publicly available."

Explaining what "publicly available" means, Facebook writes: "Such information may, for example, be accessed by everyone on the Internet (including people not logged into Facebook), be indexed by third party search engines, and be imported, exported, distributed, and redistributed by us and others without privacy limitations."

4. Facebook will continue to store and use your Connections even after you delete them. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. Even after you "delete" profile information, Facebook will remember it. We've also received reports that Facebook continues to use deleted profile information to help people find you through Facebook's search engine.

5. Facebook sometimes creates a Connection when you "Like" something. That "Like" button you see all over Facebook, and now all over the web? It too can sometimes add a Connection to your profile, without you even knowing it.

6. Facebook sometimes creates a Connection when you post to your wall. If you use the name of a Connection in a post on your wall, it may show up on the Connection Page, without you even knowing it. (For example, if you use the word "FBI" in a post).

I confess that I haven't paid much attention to this. It came up while I was on holidays, and I hate Facebook and never use it (I have a profile, but haven't logged in for years). But holy crap, that is the most reprehensible bit of corporate awfulness I've seen in months.

Six Things You Need to Know About Facebook Connections
Previously:

* Facebook privacy meltdown: company removed opt-out prior to launch ...
* Facebook and the Social Dynamics of Privacy
* Infographic: Facebook's "anti-privacy monopoly"
* Facebook further reduces privacy control for users
* Timeline of Facebook privacy policy: from reasonable (2005) to ...
* US Senator wants FTC to regulate privacy on Facebook, other social ...
* More Facebook privacy woes: rogue marketers can data-mine your ...
* Interview with Facebook employee will not make you feel better ...




http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/04/si ... -hate.html

How is this related to immigration? IMO, this needs to be moved to the "Other Topics" forum. Thank you.

since I am a member of facebook and I get a lot of messages from alipac..I think it is pertinent..in fact everything I get on my space book account from alipac pertains to Illegal Immigration...

I am going to cancel my facebook account ....

Kathyet

Kathyet wrote:

since I am a member of facebook and I get a lot of messages from alipac..I think it is pertinent..in fact everything I get on my space book account from alipac pertains to Illegal Immigration...

I am going to cancel my facebook account ....

Kathyet

I still don't see how the security and privacy workings of facebook tie into immigration.

I'm not saying your message isn't important or that there isn't a place for it here on ALIPAC. All I'm saying is, I think the more appropriate place for it would be the "Other Topics" forum (IMO).

You think Facebook is bad? You should take a look at Apple. They literally follow Soviet Russia's model of communism. Here's why:

1. You don't actually own your Apple product. Once you buy your iWhatever, you are not allowed to modify it in any way. Let's say you bought the prduct for a particular reason. At any time, Apple will take that feature away from you even though you paid for it. It has happened in the past and it is happening now.

2. They are closed-source. The best part of having a PC is being able to do what you want with it. I can put as many programs and software on it as I see fit. With Apple, THEY tell you what you are allowed to do. THEY make the decision for you. If you have an iPhone and purchased an app, they will take it away from you if they think you shouldn't have it. This has happened, and no refunds were given.

3. Apple is now in the business of patent hoarding. They are trying to patent things that every computer/phone owner uses on a daily basis. If they are successful, then their business practices will spill over onto non-apple users.

4. They are currently being sued by app makers because apple is trying to tell them that they aren't allowed to develop apps for Android based phones.

5. There was a fiasco recently where the new unreleased iPhone was left at a bar, and the person that found it attempted to call ApplelCare to return it. They weren't interested until the specs of the phone showed up on the internet. Steve Jobs had the police illegally bust into the guys house on an illegal warrant and took his computer, etc.

7. Steve Jobs had a liver transplant a few years ago. There are tons of children and adults that need a liver, yet Jobs was put to the front of the list.

In summary, Apple really an evil company. What Apple is doing now far overshadows anything that MS ever did. They are truly a company that has modeled their business practices after communism. I will NEVER buy an Apple product again.