Facebook released yet another set of modifications to its social networking site on Sept. 22.
These major changes include features allowing its users to follow public updates by subscribing to other users, as well as adding a ticker that combines both the “top stories” and “most recent” sections into one.
Blogger and self-proclaimed hacker Nic Cubrilovic has noticed these changes are not the only problems users are facing, though. Even after logging off of the site, users are still being tracked by their browser’s cookies until that particular browser is closed.
As stated in an article from Bloomberg Businessweek: “On Sept. 29, ten public-interest groups asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate Palo Alto, California-based Facebook’s tracking of Internet users after they log off. The Electronic Privacy Information Center and nine other groups urged the FTC to examine whether Facebook’s new Ticker and Timeline features increase privacy risks for users by combining biographical information in an easily accessible format.”
The groups then filed a lawsuit claiming Facebook’s tracking of a user’s data is an invasion of privacy.
They claim the changes have made “sharing information on Facebook a passive rather than active activity, meaning consumers might unwittingly reveal more than they intend.”
According to a letter sent to the FTC by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, many committees and unions “recommend that the Commission investigate whether the changes recently announced by Facebook are consistent with the policies and representations that were in place when consumers provided their personal information to Facebook or whether they constitute unfair and deceptive trade practices, in violation of consumer protection law in the United States.”
“Facebook has offered solutions that are confusing, impractical and unfair,” the group of privacy advocates said.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has agreed to conduct a privacy audit of Facebook.
“We believe this complaint is without merit, and we will fight it vigorously,” Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesman, said. “There was no security or privacy breach. Facebook did not store or use any information it should not have.”
Facebook officials said, “They [users] can choose not to take the action on Facebook, remove it from their Timeline, delete it completely, change their settings or disconnect an app at any time.”
The new Facebook tickers allow users’ information to be broadcast live to everyone on his or her friends list
as soon as an action is done. This allows other users the privilege to access all of a person’s updates without having to go the extra step to seek them out.
Facebook claims it is is doing all of this to “be more relevant to you,” the user. For example, Facebook “may put together your current city with GPS and other location information to tell you and your friends about people or events nearby, or offer deals to you that you might be interest in.”
“We want to design a place that looks like your home,” said Zuckerberg when he revealed the new changes at the F8 developers’ conference in San Francisco last month. “Facebook is at the intersection of technology and social change.”
When it comes down to new “frictionless sharing,” some Facebook users do not mind these changes.
“Others could already access the information the news ticker spits out, so it isn’t a problem to me, really,” said Ryan Murphy, an Eastern Michigan University freshman studying technical writing.
Some users are not letting these changes go so easily and have them raising eyebrows.
“I think it is absolutely ridiculous,” said Amy Lesinski, a transfer student, majoring in elementary education and cognitive impairment. “Our whole world doesn’t need to be in the public eye.”
Brandi Rochon, a junior studying special education, agreed.
“I think it annoys everyone,” she said.
When asked whether or not these problems would lead to the deletion of Facebook profiles, Lesinski added, “I haven’t decided to delete it yet because it’s how I communicate with people that I don’t see on a daily basis, and it’s how I share pictures of my son.”
“I actually almost did delete it [Facebook],” Liz Fox, a local mother, said. “I have my privacy settings where people can’t see what I comment on and whatnot. What’s the point in that now? They can see every move I make in that ticker. I hate it.”
Anthony Carter, who is studying information assurance at EMU, had one simple comment to make about these changes: “Google Plus.”
According to Facebook’s privacy policy, the site receives data about a user whenever he or she interacts with the site, such as when he or she looks at someone’s profile, sends a message, searches for a friend or clicks on an ad.
The privacy policy also notes Facebook receives additional information for the computer, mobile phone or other device a user might use to access the site. This information includes IP address, location, the type of browser being used or the pages that are being visited.
“Privacy is a thing of the past,” said Christopher Unruh, a freshman studying criminology at EMU. “With the most recent updates, there isn’t privacy anymore. Everyone can view everything you do.”
