Posts tagged as:

facebook privacy

Infographic: 6 Privacy Concerns Around Facebook Updates

October 17, 2011

Two of the biggest updates announced during the F8 were Facebook Timeline and Open Graph.

With Facebook’s new API extension Open Graph, after a user adds an app to their Timeline, app specific actions are shared on Facebook via Open Graph through Facebook Timeline, News Feed, and Ticker, making the app an integral part of the user’s and their friend’s experience on Facebook.

Moreover, Facebook’s Timeline, as you can see is far more a detailed log of your online life than its predecessor, the Profile. Facebook aims to help users express themselves more with it. But,  its default option allows the public and all your friends to view your posts dating back to when you first signed up for Facebook, which is a scary thought.

Many of you might not have had your Facebook’s account updated yet, but make sure that you take time to review and make use of the privacy options offered by Facebook. So far, Open Graph apps allow users to opt out of publishing information to Facebook news feeds, and the Timeline will give users a five-day period to choose what they want to show before the new profile publishes.

Here is an infographic from ZoneAlarm that raises some red flags regarding timeline and open graph.

TIMELINESecurity Infographic: 6 Privacy Concerns Around Facebook Updates

Let us know your thought on the six points raise in the inforgraphics above.

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Facebook To Modify Friend Finder Due To Privacy Issues

January 24, 2011

Facebook has agreed to limit the use of e-mail addresses of users who aren’t members of the social network, after facing potential fines for violating strict German privacy laws.

fb Friend finder Facebook To Modify Friend Finder Due To Privacy Issues

Facebook’s “Friends Finder” feature came under criticism from Germany data protection officials for accessing personal data from other servers and sending e-mails inviting them to join Facebook.

So, the social network company has agreed to modify its Friend Finder service to let Germans have more control over Facebook’s ability to contact people, especially non-Facebook users, whose contacts are mined from a user’s e-mail address books.

It has been agreed to provide users “transparent control over the addresses he or she imports” into Facebook. Users will also be alerted when they load their address book into Facebook or when invitations are sent. Moreover, Facebook will also be required to inform the non-Facebook member why they are receiving the mail, with options to block further emails from Facebook.

It is not clear whether Facebook will apply the new policy only in Germany or introduce the new policy across the globe.

Do you want similar policy to be introduce in you region too?

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SNAP Out Your Facebook Privacy Grade

August 17, 2010

snapp logo SNAP Out Your Facebook Privacy GradeTalk about Facebook, privacy will be is the hottest and biggest topic for debate.

Every major update of Facebook have always brought about another round of criticism, debate, and discussion on privacy.

While the debate goes on..here’s a news about an app for Facebook users.

S.N.A.P. which stands for Social Network Analyzer for Privacy is an app that gathers your information and  tells you how readily your information is available. Oh well, you also get a letter Grade.

snap itunes SNAP Out Your Facebook Privacy Grade

SNAP works by logging on to your Facebook through  it, checks your account settings and provides a grade.

The app also allows users to do an in depth search of their profile for any keywords, and returns with a report of the number of occurrence, along with where, when, and how it was posted.

Sadly, the app is meant for iOS devices(iPhone, iPad and iPod touch). But Android users can expect a version for them pretty soon(just my guess icon smile SNAP Out Your Facebook Privacy Grade )

This interesting and productive app will be very useful – not only for those who are curious about their level of protection, but also for the lazy ones, and the ones who doesn’t know any better.

So, “What your privacy Grade?”

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How To Remove Yourself From Public Search On Facebook

July 30, 2010

In view of the recent news about 100 million Facebook profile being leaked, we would like to bring to you a short tutorial on how to exclude yourself from such situation.

The profile data that were leak were actually nothing new. All the information is already available if one searches it. The listed users are those who have not bothered to remove themselves from being listed on public search engines.

Here is a quick How To:

1. Log in to your Facebook Account.

2. Select the Privacy Settings options from the Accounts tab.

fb account privacysettings How To Remove Yourself From Public Search On Facebook

3. At the bottom of the following page, you will find the settings for ‘Applications and Websites’. Click on the ‘Edit your settings’ link.

fb account privacysettings applicationsandwebsites 300x211 How To Remove Yourself From Public Search On Facebook

4. On the following page, you will find a ‘public search’ at the bottom of the list. Click on the ‘Edit Settings’ button located at the far right side.

fb account privacysettings publicsearch 300x212 How To Remove Yourself From Public Search On Facebook

5.  Now you’ll see a description of the public search settings and at the bottom of the description, ‘Enable public search’ with a check box in front of it.

fb account privacysettings publicsearchsettings 300x81 How To Remove Yourself From Public Search On Facebook

Uncheck the option and congratulations, “you have just removed yourself from public search.”

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100 Million Facebook Profile Data Surfaces On Torrent Site

July 29, 2010

100 million Facebook users data have been leaked on an internet.

The file contains user account names and URL for each user’s profile page, from which anyone can easily access the user’s details such as address, date of birth, phone number or email address. Once a user’s profile is access, it is also possible to access the details of their friends even if they have made themselves non-searchable.

The directory of the personal details of users, a massive 2.8 GB torrent compiled by hacker Ron Bowes of Skull Security, is reported to have surfaced on an internet file-sharing site.

Ron Bowes reported used a piece of code to scan Facebook profiles, and collected data not hidden by the user’s privacy settings.

Mr Bowes siad he did it to highlight privacy issues, to which Facebook replied that the details in question was already public information.

Isn’t it terrifying???

Are you on the list??

You can check whether you name is in the list or not by going through this link.

If you are in the list, you might be wondering how your name got there.

If your name is there then, the ‘Public Search’ in your privacy settings must be checked. You just need to uncheck the option to hide yourself from public searches.

I would like to repeat what Jame Nixon wrote on Thinq, “There’s absolutely nothing illegal about what Bowes has done – the information is, after all, publicly available – but perhaps the existence of a stalker’s online black book might finally persuade less security-minded Facebook users to get their arses in gear,”

If you are on the list, then i would like to remind you that the information was there all along, right from the time you made you Facebook account.

Just make sure to protect yourself in future.

Check out the Facebook Help section to more about privacy settings and how to do it.

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Facebook Extends Privacy Settings On Third-Party Applications

February 18, 2010

Facebook tightened the privacy settings with the launch of new privacy settings in December 2009. The new controls allowed users to customize privacy for each piece of content shared on Facebook including status updates, links, photos and videos.

Now, Facebook is tightening privacy on contents shared through third-party applications.

“Today we are responding to your continued feedback by extending that same level of control to content shared through applications,” said Facebook software engineer Ray He in a blog post.

“These new controls give you the power to determine who see the content you post to Facebook through any third-party application, whether on Facebook.com, your desktop, mobile phone or from a Facebook Connect web site or service,” he adds.

A Facebook spokeswoman explained that all Facebook applications and integrations will have access to the new controls, which will “automatically appear on Feed forms and Publisher integrations even if the developer does nothing”.

Users may also start to see additional prompts in applications asking if they’d like to set privacy for certain pieces of content that differ from your default setting.

The tool lets Facebook members determine accessibility to posted content, such as status updates or pictures in categories designated “Friends,” “Friends of Friends,” “Everyone” and “Customized.”

“Whether you choose to keep your default setting on everything you share or change the audience for different pieces of content, the choice is yours,” he adds.

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