Private Facebook Pages Are Not So Private
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A security researcher discovers that private Facebook profiles can reveal startlingly personal information.
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TechWeb - The popular social networking site is taking steps to protect its young users.
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There's a fascinating debate today going on about Scoble and his Facebook data. Here's the story so far. Plaxo, on behalf of Scoble, ran a screen scraper on his Facebook account to download information about at least some of his Facebook friends. Facebook detected the scraper and turned off his account, with an email explaining that he had violated their terms of service. The debate: Who is right -- Scoble or Facebook? While there are certainly arguments that Facebook has some rightness, most of it, imho, is with Scoble. Sure, some of the data may "belong" to his friends, like their birthday and mail address. Technically of course the data doesn't belong to anyone, it's data about them, and many organizations have this data. Are bloggers really saying that organizations have more rights than people? Isn't blogging all about a level playing field? My bank knows my birthday and my email address. Why shouldn't Scoble? (Maybe he shouldn't.) Scoble called a few minutes ago. I asked what the consensus was. He said it was about 70 percent in his favor, 30 percent in Facebook's. I think we can win over the 30 percent by saying that there should be a system whereby people can decide how much information they want to share with Scoble, or people like Scoble, or me, or people like me, or BofA or the DEA, KGB or CIA. Further, that system is not Facebook, unless they change.  Now, I think there's a pretty good chance that Facebook will change and give Scoble his data and turn his account back on. I think Facebook wants to give us access to our data, but if they just turned the feature on, there would be a shitstorm, kind of like the one that's raging right now. Except this time Facebook has defenders, which they must find refreshing, because every time there's been a shitstorm around Facebook they've always been seen as 100 percent evil by most people. (Not by me, btw.) Maybe they're getting smart there over at Facebook. Maybe they will relent, kind of admit they were wrong, and secretly be happy that they got to open their network up some more.  However, if Facebook doesn't open up and allow people a system to say who can access what information, we still have to create that system somehow. Google could have done it, but they didn't. Same with Yahoo or Microsoft. These companies don't want to empower the users, but if they studied history, they'd see that the evolution of computers always comes in fits and starts. A period when the technology is new and people are snowed by the companies and let them have full control. Gradually people understand what's going on, and figure out they're being screwed but they accept it. And then explosively the whole thing disintegrates in a new layer of technology.  It's a big effin loop we're in. One of these times around one of the companies that feels (incorrectly) that they have a lock on their users, will voluntarily give it up and be a leader in Generation N+1. I've never seen it happen, but in theory I think it could.  In other words, Apple and Microsoft could have invented the web instead of TBL. DEC and Data General could have invented the personal computer instead of Apple and Microsoft (I know this is a simplification, there were lots of individuals and small companies that did it.) And IBM could have invented the minicomputer instead of DEC and Data General. And btw, the NY Times and CNN could have invented blogging and RSS.  So Facebook has the opportunity to be a crossover company, part of the next generation -- or a last gasp of the generation that's about to run out of gas. It's their choice. And it's fitting somehow that Scoble is the poster child for users in this cycle.
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The company's new software might let private information go public. Also: A new website pays you to help your friends buy products  & hellip;. LAN operators start to gear up  & hellip;. and more.
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Facebook's application platform could be the next battleground in the privacy wars. Will Facebook fold and finally respect user privacy?
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All of my friends have a MySpace page, but my parents are so protective, they probably won't let me have one. I want to ask them, but I think they'll say no. How can I approach them about it?   -- Sam, 15, Pontiac, Mich.
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With Facebook slowly creeping up on MySpace, is there room for two social networking sites?
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Flagging social network introduces new way for bands, celebrities, organizations to create profiles on the site. Unfortunately, it probably won't ameliorate its problems.
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An Internet phenomenon is exposed, and I'm not talking about Lonelygirl15.
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Users will be able to choose whether their pages are revealed to outside search engines.
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By Staff Reports  Adults users should protect their personal and financial information from 'phishing.'   Many older users may be leery about safety when using MySpace.
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Facebook is changing the social networking site to make the names and profiles of its members available to nonmembers and eventually accessible through search-engine listings.
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There is no question that the popular social networking site is taking over all aspects of our lives. As this new era dawns, it is important to keep in mind certain principles of etiquette. Firstly, Poke with caution and moderation.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook.com, a fast-growing U S social network website has sparked a privacy backlash that has quickly become one of the broadest cyber-protests ever with more than 600,000 members signing an online petition by midday yesterday.
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Fingers all tired from typing Web addresses from Bebo to Zebo to hit all your social networking and media sharing sites?
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By Alan Sipress and Sam Diaz, Washington Post Staff Writers  Facebook announced yesterday that it is taking the unusual step of allowing the public to develop features for the popular social-networking Web site, permitting any software designer to access the company's millions of members.
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An impending update from Facebook will make it possible for you to make your profile look a whole lot neater by hiding excess applications.