Facebook and Others Sending you Data!

facebook_logo The Wall Street Journal had an article, that reported that Facebook and several other popular social media sites were sending information to their advertisers when you click on an ad.  This information could help companies find your name or other personal information without your consent…despite claiming they don’t do that without your consent.
The sites participating in this practice are Facebook, MySpace, LiveJournal, Hi5, Xanga, and Digg according to the Wall Street Journal.  These companies defend their current practice of sending user names or ID numbers tied to personal profiles being viewed when users click on ads.  Even Twitter was caught sending usernames to advertisers when clicking on an ad.
This isn’t something that should shock people anymore, when you give your information to sites like Facebook, they feel like that code is worth money, and potential advertisers salivate at that data.  It’s something that benefits both companies why wouldn’t they do it?  I’ve heard rumors that lawmakers are looking at laws to govern how websites share our information.  That’s why we need more laws.  What happens to us protecting ourselves online?  Let the news and the people who use the sites protect us, just like it worked this time.  Facebook messed up, people got mad, and Facebook is trying to save face now.
I think, unlike most people I don’t blame Facebook or any other social media website, I blame us.  We fill these websites will all of our personal information and then get offended when it gets used against us.  I tend to think that we have forgotten that there is no real thing as privacy on the internet.  There was a time when we were unwilling to put so much of ourselves online.
Though I can understand where people are upset with Facebook.  They made the classic mistake when it came to technology.  You can make public information private, but not private information public.  Facebook protected your privacy vigorously at first and then tried to release its grip, and that was its problem.  Look at Twitter, they make no claim that your information is protected, you tweet it and everyone can see it.

Original Article: Wall Street Journal

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