Interactive video turns Facebook fears into 2 minutes of horror

www.cnn.com...

I have to admit, that I haven't checked this out, since I have deleted my facebook account, but it does seem a little creepy. Its just simply amazing (ok, not that amazing) how many people put their personal info out there. Maybe this is a good way to wake them up.

A sweaty, wild-eyed man in a stained undershirt hunches over his computer in a shadowy basement. He's broken into your Facebook account and is reading your posts as his dirty, cracked fingernails paw at the keyboard. Rage (jealousy? hate?) builds as he flips through your photos and scrolls through your list of friends. He rocks back and forth, growing more agitated as the pages flash past. Then he consults a map of your city and heads to his car ... So why ... oh, why ... did you include so much personal information -- and your address -- in your profile?

If that all sounds like the stuff of a digital-era horror movie, you're not far off. "Take This Lollipop" is an interactive short video that's been making its way around the Web as Halloween approaches. Visitors to the site are first presented with an image of a lollipop with a razor blade in it -- don't take candy from strangers, kids -- and asked to grant access to their Facebook account. Don't worry: The application claims it uses your data only once, then deletes it. But the creepy results just might make you think twice about who else gets access to your online information.

The video uses the developer tool Facebook Connect and features actor Bill Oberst Jr. (whose credits range from "The Secret Life of Bees" to the inexplicably Oscarless "Nude Nuns With Big Guns") as the aforementioned grungy nutjob. As he stares at his computer, it's actual photos and other information from your page that he's scrolling through. (Note to parents: If you're tagged in pictures of your kids, be ready for those to pop up, too. It ups the ante on creepiness exponentially). In the weeks since the video went live, viewers have begun sharing it with friends and asking them to video-record themselves while watching it. (This one from YouTube has more than 18,000 views, not to mention a vaguely "Blair Witch Project" vibe.) Creator Jason Zada, a commercial and viral marketing director who was the brains behind the viral "Elf Yourself" online campaign for OfficeMax, told Porter Gale of Ad Age that he'd been kicking around Halloween ideas and "wanted to do something that messed with people." He said the clip is definitely meant to spur thought about how much information we share online. "Our privacy was dead a while back and will never be the same," he said. "Life as a whole has changed. If you look at the video, the scariest part is that your information is in the video.

The piece is scary because a person is violating your privacy, not because it's bloody or there's anything jumping out." As of Thursday morning, nearly 2 million people had "liked" the page. How many of them are at Facebook's headquarters remains unclear. "I did hear the video project has been polarizing inside of Facebook, and I received a call from Facebook's Developer Relations Team, " Zada said. "They were very nice, respectable, and I explained I didn't want to cross any lines."

For those that don't use facebook anymore, this probably won't affect you at all, since you already know the truth about facebook. For those that don't, maybe its time to delete yours, or at least edit some of your info....regardless of what you do, be safe and be smart.

reply to post by Veritas1


I am happy I deleted my facebook account too but I wouldn't be surprised if they still have our information out there.

I'm perfectly happy with my facebook account thanks. There is the opportunity to be tracked down at any site you have an account to.

reply to post by ShedAlert


Yes, I agree that any website can track you. I was just sharing some information with others to see what others thought about it. Its your choice on what you do. Just be safe about it . Peace to you, and safe out there and have a great day!

I don't have a facebook account, but my God, this is creepy.

Thank you for sharing!

S&F

reply to post by Veritas1
haha. It was probably the '...maybe you should delete yours...' line that made me a bit cranky about this. Interesting read though.

reply to post by Veritas1


Ok let's discuss something first.
the site in question is. www.takethislollipop.com...
It's a creepy halloween stalking movie that displays screen shots of your facebook pages and images.

Secondly in order to access the information seen in the movie.
A facebook app must be run. And that app must ask for permission to get that information. So you can allow or deny it.

There is no invasion of privacy going on since you've explicitly given the site access to your information.

I dont have a facebook account, so I cant double check, but is related to these other existing threads?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

NOW that was scary. Good thing I shared it with all my FB friends....Muhahahah.

can this be my 2nd line?

Originally posted by alfa1
I dont have a facebook account, so I cant double check, but is related to these other existing threads?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

it is indeed related to those two threads. Sorry...Mods, delete if you deem necessary....

reply to post by grey580


you are right. I forgot about the apps thing, where you can allow them to access your info or not. I suppose it would be a personal decision to allow it...

Let me see now; even if i wouldn't have my address or such in my facebook acoount, it'll take a few seconds to pull the info from a phone book, or a phone directory service. Let alone from a population register. So i think i'm not gonna lose my sleep over this one.