Beware of Facebook Applications
I cannot quite say “I told you so” because I mentioned my privacy concerns about Facebook applications only verbally and in passing rather than in detailed writing but, regardless, I was right. Corporation and individuals are attempting to profit from your personal information and “private” feelings.
Specifically, and in summary, the creators of the Compare People application are offering a $10 per year service that reveals to the user how he or she has been ranked by other users, seemingly in clear violation of the agreement put forth by the application’s terms of service. Please read these articles by Rae Hoffman discussing the blatant misuse of personal information:
Compare People Facebook App Pulls a Bait and Switch?
More on the Compare People Premium Service
The Register also picked up the controversy. If you are a Facebook user, such articles should be required reading. This type of abuse is the representative of the direction in which the website is currently heading, a destination that can only be avoided through stricter regulation by the Facebook company. Let’s be honest here: your average Facebook user is likely not sufficiently intelligent and/or well-informed to understand the ramifications of the “fun” and “cool” apps they install, especially with the increasingly young audience the site is attracting. That being said, Facebook has responded constructively to criticism and outcry from the masses. Speak up!
I am interested to measure the buzz and backlash on Facebook itself but I began a week of withdrawal last Friday at 5 PM. I am moving past the jitter stage to a bit of calm and have no wish to return before schedule. To the union of Facebookers and drewd readers, did you even know about this? What are your thoughts?
For further reading, check out Danah Boyd’s blog post on the Facebook Privacy Trainwreck (as well as the linked essay) from last year. Her research on the American class divisions across social networking sites is quite interesting as well.
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