Facebook, MySpace caught releasing user data

Facebook and Myspace caught red handed giving out personal member information

news.yahoo.com

In a seemingly never-ending string of damaging disclosures about its users' privacy concerns, Facebook has reportedly been releasing user data to ad companies that hadn't even asked for the info.

Facebook isn't alone this time: rival social-media site MySpace has also been called out in Friday's Wall Street Journal report by Emily Steel and Jessica E. Vascellaro — together with the content-sharing sites Livejournal and Digg.

The report says that the companies have delivered user data to major online advertising companies such as Google's DoubleClick and Yahoo!'s Right Media, desp

(visit the link for the full news article)


mod edit: fixed title
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Copy the exact headline of the story into the headline field, don't make one up or sensationalise it.

[edit on 22 May 2010 by Hellmutt]

Anyone still think these sites are anything but data mining operations? Well the proof is in the pudding, per the Wall Street Journal, Myspace and Facebook have been officially busted misusing and giving out personal user info to online marketing agencies.

I have always felt it a bad idea to put such things as employer name, kids names, previous histories and other vital personal information on these "social networking" sites. And dollars to doughnuts I would bet they aren't just sharing it with marketing agencies, but anyone else willing to fork over the money. Not to mention the various alphabet agencies who like to keep close tabs on it's citizens.

This should be a wake up call for those who frequent these sites - user beware. No further need to speculate and wonder IF.....these sites are offering up your personal information. I have long since deleted any profile that I have had on any internet profiling site, and I would urge others to do the same, or at least be very careful of the information you share.

And I have to wonder if this new revelation won't lead to potential lawsuits. Unless they have written somewhere in the fine print that this abuse is allowed upon subscription, I would have to believe that there will be many people who feel betrayed and abused in this instance.


news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I find it humorous... the government didn't even need to force people for their profiles, people gave up there personal information willingly to "make friends". Who needs cameras and wiretapping when you can log on to myspace and find out a persons habits, religious affiliation and political leanings.

I have fallen victim to this crap. The only reason I use Facebook is because I have a great number of friends living abroad and for that reason, it is very useful. However, since two months I have been receiving spam through my skype account whereas I previously had never received any. When I started thinking if I had left my skype address anywhere where it could have been picked up by advertisement agencies, only one thing came up: Facebook.

I am very suspicious that they have sold my skype address to some company and therefore, I am now receiving viagra spam on a daily basis. Ever since this became to my attention, I removed all of my personal data from it.

reply to post by SmokeandShadow




I have always known Facebook was nothing but a marketing executives wet dream. Do you "like" this product, this band, this movie, this brand of pizza. It is one big mass marketing test center.

Proof that the corporations and the boogie men are always one step ahead of the sheeple, they just put out the honey and the ants come right in willingly. No wonder corporations have us all by the fuzzies, they know our every move, every thought, every impulse. Also they know our political beliefs, religious affiliation, and every wayward tendency imaginable.

everyone i know has a facebook account, i mean EVERYONE. personally though, i've always thought it was lame. i mean, why the hell do you want people to know everything you do in your life? this is not a movie and you're not the main character, keep that stuff to yourself.

And this is why I've never signed up to facebook, i signed up to myspace when it first opened and still have that account but unused..I stopped all these online sites to meet and keep in touch with people just cause of that simple reason and among others.....And this is why you NEVER put any real info , and if you do, dont give out your whole life truth and thoughts.. just keep it simple

This doesn't surprise me at all. I have noticed the insane amount of spam I get in my email since I joined FB. I never give the email out I use for FB, I always give out my other one FOR spam. Now I get all kinds of junk in my personal account.

Here is something interesting my Uncle caught on FB one night. He saw my name and my twin sisters name and our email addresses in a side advertisement for VIAGRA. For anyone who has a FB you know what advertisements I am talking about, the ones on the left they ask if you like and why. I had no idea my full name and email address were being used for an advertisement. I have contacted FB a few times and have not heard one thing from them. They are VERY hard to get in contact with. I never had this problem on Myspace.

I keep FB because I am able to communicate with my family and friends I have known most of my life. I also use it to keep in contact with my boyfriend and in a month it will be one of the main ways we see each other in a sense. He is going to Italy for work for a few years. I found a couple friends I couldn't find in the normal ways on FB. I lost contact with a close friend and for years I couldn't find her, until I searched on FB. Go figure....Personally I am careful about what I put on my Facebook.

The people who put personal information on FB are morons. How can you honestly think that someone won't find out. I have read about people getting fired over FB posting. I don't post about work or anything like that on my FB. Usually they are my silly useless ramblings or multiple ATS links

Use FB for what its good for: keeping up on friends and relatives.
Do not use FB for what it is bad: don't "like" anything and don't put anything on there that you wouldn't tell your mom or the cops.

I think this is where they reel you in, people get connected with friends and it adds incentive to stay longer and participate more. I know a lot of people who spend upwards of 6 hours a day on Facebook, and many who say they couldn't stop themselves from using the service even if they tried.

That is getting to be a pretty scary combination when it is proven that they are stealing and misusing peoples private and personal information in such an underhanded way.

[edit on 22-5-2010 by BlackOps719]