background preloader

FB pssing PI to 1/3 party apps

Facebook Twitter

Aereo/Aereokiller the ongoing battle over public performance

Facebook Says User Data Sold to Broker. I've Been Mugged: RapLeaf, Facebook, Data Mining, and Privacy. There is a good article in CNN Money about RapLeaf, its ties to Facebook, and the impact of data mining on privacy.

I've Been Mugged: RapLeaf, Facebook, Data Mining, and Privacy

In this latest data breach, RapLeaf obtained from Facebook applications (commonly referred to as "apps") the IDs of Facebook members, merged the data with its own database, and then resold that combined data to advertising networks. You never heard of RapLeaf before? Neither had I. It is one of many information brokers like Acxiom, ChoicePoint, Spokeo, and Quantcast. This blog covered them, and now RapLeaf, too. The Facebook apps never should have transmitted members' IDs and personal information, especially those Facebook members that had set their privacy settings to private. CNN Money summarized the problem facing RapLeaf and information brokers: "... privacy experts said they believe Rapleaf is being disingenuous.

I agree. While reading the CNN Money article, I also learned what a Klout Score is. Whatever. Really? Okay, I get it. What exactly was the damage? Facebook in Online Privacy Breach; Applications Transmitting Identifying Information.

FB to encrypt users IDs

Is Facebook’s Proposed User ID Solution Sufficient? This morning Facebook announced a proposed solution to the user ID problem that the Wall Street Journal “exposed” over the weekend.

Is Facebook’s Proposed User ID Solution Sufficient?

While sufficient if the sharing of user data was truly inadvertent, we aren’t quite sure that this is going to truly prevent the sharing of user data. After any article comes out which exposes wrong doing by companies who are in the business of buying and selling data, the response is most frequently finger pointing, denial, or communicating a misunderstanding. While I’m not suggesting that Zynga and other app developers intentionally shared data with Rapleaf, it’s not exactly a secret that the company is willing to buy user data in order to create more robust dossiers of every individual on the internet.

So far the most accurate portrayal of the situation is the one provided by Om Malik, who suggests that it isn’t quite clear how Rapleaf’s data is obtained despite the fact that they have profiles on a large percent of internet users. Facebook CEO hit with privacy questions. Two members of the U.S.

Facebook CEO hit with privacy questions

Congress Tuesday hit Facebook with a series of questions about the latest privacy issues surrounding the site's most popular applications. U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Edward Markey, D-Mass., co-chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier today seeking information on Facebook security features and on reports earlier this week that some of most popular applications made for the social network, such as FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker and FrontierVille, have been sending users' personal information to dozens of advertising and Internet monitoring companies. It is time for the web browser vendors to embrace privacy by default. Three times over the past six months, web browsers' referrer headers have played a major role in major privacy issues.

It is time for the web browser vendors to embrace privacy by default

Much of the attention has reasonably been focused on the websites that were leaking their users' private data (in some cases, unintentionally, but at least in Google's case, intentionally). It may be time to focus a bit of attention on the role that the web browser vendors play, and in the pathetic tools they offer to consumers to control this form of information leakage. The root of the current focus by privacy advocates on the browser referrer header stems from a paper (pdf download) written two researchers last year, who found that Facebook, MySpace and several other online social networks were leaking the unique IDs of their users to behavioral advertising networks. Congressmen demand Facebook explain privacy breach. Washington correspondent Kim Landers and wires Updated Wed 20 Oct 2010, 2:29pm AEDT An apparent privacy breach by Facebook has attracted the attention of a couple of members of the US Congress.

Congressmen demand Facebook explain privacy breach

A Democrat and Republican have written to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg asking him to explain what they call a "privacy breach". Facebook has acknowledged some third-party applications on its site have passed on user identification information. The US congressmen say given the number of Facebook users, these apparent breaches are a cause for concern. Facebook’s latest privacy flap is due to Web plumbing, not policy. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that many of the most popular Facebook application developers, including Zynga Game Network whose apps include FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker and FrontierVille, “have been transmitting identifying information — in effect, providing access to people’s names and, in some cases, their friends’ names — to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies.”

Facebook’s latest privacy flap is due to Web plumbing, not policy

To some, it was the smoking gun proving Facebook is in the business of selling users’ personal information. But if you read the story closely, you’ll see that isn’t at all what it is about. To begin with, Facebook has a policy of not sharing user information with advertisers and an agreement with its third party developers that they not share such information either. Even the Journal article made this clear: “Facebook prohibits app makers from transferring data about users to outside advertising and data companies, even if a user agrees.” Referers aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Face values. Most Facebook users have not, as is often charged, lost their sense of appropriate behaviour; rather, the site has relaxed some social rules, argues Kathleen Richardson During a recent trip to Peru, my friend and I sampled the local delicacy: guinea pig.

Face values

I was about to share this fact with my network of friends on Facebook (including adding a photograph of my friend with the little creature's leg sticking out of her mouth), but decided against it, thinking that it might be too horrific for my animal-loving friends. I am not the only one who thinks twice before posting particular kinds of photographs or status messages.

Facebook-user-sues-farmville-maker-zynga-for-violating-the-privacy-rights-of-millions-of-americans-105261453. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A class action lawsuit filed yesterday challenges Zynga's alleged practice of illegally sharing the Facebook user data of its customers with advertisers and data brokers.

facebook-user-sues-farmville-maker-zynga-for-violating-the-privacy-rights-of-millions-of-americans-105261453

The lawsuit alleges that Zynga, which currently makes six of the top ten Facebook games, collected the Facebook data of its 218 million users and shared it with advertisers and data brokers in violation of federal law and Zynga's contract with Facebook. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in San Francisco, Calif., is brought by Nancy Graf of St. Paul, Minnesota. The class action seeks monetary relief for those whose data was wrongly shared, and injunctive relief to prevent continued privacy abuses.

"This appears to be another example of an online company failing the American public with empty promises to respect individual privacy rights," explained Michael Aschenbrener of Edelson McGuire LLC, co-lead attorney for the class action. SOURCE Edelson McGuire LLC RELATED LINKS. On Facebook Apps Leaking User Identities. The Wall Street Journal today reports that many Facebook applications are handing over user information—specifically, Facebook IDs—to online advertisers.

On Facebook Apps Leaking User Identities

Since a Facebook ID can easily be linked to a user’s real name, third party advertisers and their downstream partners can learn the names of people who load their advertisement from those leaky apps. This reportedly happens on all ten of Facebook’s most popular apps and many others. The Journal article provides few technical details behind what they found, so here’s a bit more about what I think they’re reporting. Facebook App Developer Privacy. Facebook and Zynga Face Lawsuits over Privacy Breach - Digits. TRUSTe responds to Facebook privacy problems... August 2009. (via Ian Brown) In a remarkable turn of events, Facebook has agreed to add significant new privacy safeguards and make other changes in response to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s recent investigation into the popular social networking site’s privacy policies and practices.

August 2009

"The following is an overview of key issues raised during the investigation and Facebook’s response: 1. Third-party Application Developers Issue: The sharing of personal information with third-party developers creating Facebook applications such as games and quizzes raises serious privacy risks. Response: Facebook has agreed to retrofit its application platform in a way that will prevent any application from accessing information until it obtains express consent for each category of personal information it wishes to access.

This change will require significant technological changes. How to Stop Facebook from Sharing Your Information With Third Parties. I went through each individual application on my FB and, much to my surprise, Gawker Media apps were by far the worst offenders when it comes to privacy violations. The Gawker apps access far more information than any other application on my list, about both me and my friends. Worse, unlike any other application, it actually DID access my information. Facebook Vows to Fix a Flaw in Data Protection. At the same time, you agree that Facebook can use that data to decide what ads to show you. It is a complicated deal that many people enter into without perhaps fully understanding what will happen to their information. It also involves some trust — which is why any hint that Facebook may not be holding up its end of the bargain is sure to kick up plenty of controversy.

The latest challenge to that trust came on Monday, when Facebook acknowledged that some applications on its site, including the popular game FarmVille, had improperly shared identifying information about users, and in some cases their friends, with advertisers and Web tracking companies. The company said it was talking to application developers about how they handled personal information, and was looking at ways to prevent this from happening again. Privacy advocates and technology experts were split on the significance of the issue. Mr. At the same time, Mr. Facebook apps still leak your private data - Canada Canada Cyber Safety. Even if you use the strictest privacy settings on Facebook, many applications can pass on information that personally identifies you and your friends to advertisers, says a Wall Street Journal investigation. The amount of your personal data that is sold is unbelievable. The information being transmitted is one of Facebook's basic building blocks: the unique "Facebook ID" number assigned to every user on the site.

Congressmen Write Zuckerberg Over Privacy Flap. Any hope that Mark Zuckerberg had of the latest Facebook privacy flap blowing over must be fading fast. Late yesterday, two members of the House of Representatives wrote an open letter to him complaining about the problem and asking for further details. Edward Markey and Joe Barton, who are members of the Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, stated, "Given the number of current users, the rate at which that number grows worldwide, and the age range of Facebook users, combined with the amount and the nature of information these users place in Facebook’s trust, this series of breaches of consumer privacy is a cause for concern. " Then the pair of lawmakers listed an intimidating 18 questions or requests for Zuckerberg to answer.

Facebook and the app gap. Congressmen Poke Facebook Over Privacy Breaches. Reps. Markey, Barton demand answers on what the social network knew about unauthorized disclosure of user ID numbers and what it plans to do about it. (click image for larger view) Best Mobile Apps For Busy Professionals. The #facebook Daily. Advocacy Groups Poke More Holes In Facebook Privacy, Facebook Responds. Facebook app breach gets the attention of Congress. Facebook changes are 'not enough,' say groups. 27 May 2010Last updated at 12:40 Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the settings had "gotten complex" The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that "more is needed" from Facebook to address privacy criticisms.

In a blog post, the civil liberties group praised Facebook for a "great first step" towards giving members of the site more control over their data. However, it warned members against choosing the site's recommended privacy control setting. Doing that shares "a substantial amount" of information widely, the group claimed.

"The changes are pretty good, though more is needed," wrote Kevin Bankston, senior staff attorney at the EFF. ACLU of N. Calif: Facebook App Privacy Breach Shows Facebook Needs to Do More. The Facebook Privacy Scandal. <br/><a href=" US News</a> | <a href=" Business News</a> Facebook in Online Privacy Breach; Applications Transmitting Identifying Information.

FB partage ses donnees