FACEBOOK SECURITY? WHAT SECURITY? WHAT A JOKE!
Facebook security? What security? What a joke! Facebook does more to put users at risk for identity theft from hackers and viruses than any other site on the internet! They think nothing of infriging on a users personal information, which they intend to sell to the highest bidder.
Their latest privacy invasion to ask people for their home address, phone numbers, employment information and education in their profile is outrageous. The local news broadcasts in my area has warned people against giving out this information on the internet, and mention Facebook in particular. With this information, and your date of birth, also on your profile, a hacker or phisher can access your personal data and you can become the newest victim of identity theft. They also suggest that you should hide your date of birth, or at least the birth year because of this.
Another thing you should hide on you Facebook account is your email address. There was a recent news item about a hacker who used the email addresses from Facebook user accounts to break into the personal email accounts of those individuals and stalk them. How's that for scary?
Facebook has also road blocked users from accessing their accounts, or posting to groups unless they relinquish their credit card or cell/mobile phone number. Oddly enough, this started around the same time Target department stores started selling Facebook gift cards. The reason they want your cell phone is simple. While most people may not have a credit card, most everyone has a cell phone, which can be charged in lieu of a credit card.
To force people to give out personal financial data, or any personal information, on what is suppose to be a free site, is a major privacy concern. You have to wonder exactly who they are planning to share this information with, and how they intend to use it. Facebook does not communicate with users, the users are always the last ones to know what's going on, and usually find out the hard way, when the damage is done and it's too late. However, if someone's credit card or cell phone number reached the wrong hands this could have disastrous results, with unauthorized charges and/or indentity theft. It is alarming that Facebook is not concerned about this, and does nothing to protect users from hackers, phisers or viruses on their site.
There are Facebook groups that protest Facebook's request for credit card or mobile phone data, and many others that protest another brain storm by Facebook called Friend Finder. There is currently a class action law suit filed against Facebook because they used the names and profile photos/images of users in advertisements for Friend Finder without their consent, knowledge or authorization. By using this information, it is implying the individuals depicted in these ads are endorsing this Facebook application, which is not true. In many cases the people featured in the ads are unaware they are even on them. How do I know about this? Because I was recently contacted by a friend with a "screen shot" of a Friend Finder ad, and I was in it!
Facebook does not care about user privacy and does not take ANY security measures or precautions on their site. Facebook is not at all concerned about protecting users from hackers, viruses or phishers. All they are interested in are ways to siphon new personal information from users to sell to the highest bidder and make millions of dollars on advertising with. It's time legal and government authorities did something about it and put a stop to Facebook's infringement and abuse of private user data and information.
Facebook is a lot of fun, but everyone needs to use caution with their personal information to protect themselves. Facebook does not look out for you, or protect you. Their actions have proved it time and time again.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
