Facebook enables apps to peek at mail

Facebook plans to open up members' inboxes and notifications to developers have drawn fire from security experts as an unacceptable privacy risk. The social network site published plans to release a notification and Mailbox API in a post on a developers' forum last month. The development has received little attention since, …

[Tom Simnett]

While this can be seen...

...as a blatant disregard for privacy, there is an upshot too:

You'd now be able to have a facebook connector in Thunderbird/Apple Mail/etc that lets you read, reply to and create messages within the realm of your usual email client.

That's actually quite a nice thought. The other nice thing is that at least it's an opt-in per application.

[\\\]

Gmail scans ...

I've never understood the fuss about Google scanning mail to target adverts. Don't all spam filters do exaclty the same thing?

[Anonymous Coward]

required by a new communications database?

These hooks are no doubt mandated to allow government access to all forms of communication data??

[Code Monkey]

They'd better get this right

I can smell a mass-exodus here

[nicolas]

origin

tell me, does this come from Marketing, by any chance ?

[Mortal]

duh

facebook is so 20th century, who cares? Next...

[Anonymous Coward]

Lol

First thing I did after checking this out, linked this article and posted it on Failbook. About half a dozen people suddenly realised the apps really weren't worth all that much and binned them..

Thank you El Reg <3

[steward]

In true facebook fashion...

There is already a petition to stop this.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.facebook.com%2Fkeepmyinboxprivate%2F%23&h=34a4326cc8ec8de614dbd977a69ffae2

[Richard IV]

Facebook shmacebook

For most of their users, they could replace "I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions" with "Yes, I am an idiot and I don't care if some scammer trawls my inbox" and only the few with brains would notice. It's a good thing that at least those with brains would start a group against it or suchlike.

Facebook is like living in a police state but not minding the odd beating.

[Pete 48]

@Mortal - 20th Century?

Seeing as facebook wasn't launched until 2004, that would make it 'so 21st century' would it not?

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

A piece of advice I have found useful and true thru' the years.

Don't use services like facebook.

Ever.

Not worth the time or effort spent.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Richard IV

Do you read the T&Cs for everything you join/buy etc? Every bit of the small print?

[Winkypop]

FleeceBook

Do Not Use

Just say no.

Avoid

Run away...etc

[Stephen Macken]

As the bootnote says...

... I'm a Reg reader and not from Facebook marketing...

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: steward Posted

" There is already a petition to stop this.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapps.facebook.com%2Fkeepmyinboxprivate%2F%23&h=34a4326cc8ec8de614dbd977a69ffae2

"

Is this the one that installs an application to your profile without even asking your permission?? If it is it smells like a con to me as well, bait and switch style.

Personally I'd take the view that all apps should be removed by users and not installed until facebook retracts this inbox scanning thing.