Yet another reason to not have a facebook account.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Hints Facebook Is Becoming a Full-On Identification Service - Technology - The Atlantic Wire

Normally I would copy/paste the article for those who can't click links at work, etc... but I'm being lazy.

Though the major concern is with facebook's privacy/security yet again. Given how much info they gather and their views about how privacy/personal information should be handled, I personally can't understand why anyone stays with them.

Please offer your thoughts on the article.

[hover]

they can only access that what you are willing to put in. again.

[Kwesi]

What I want to know is exactly how anyone can get your SSN by using your face. That sounds like BS to me. Hover's got it, folks won't see it unless you let them.

[ADbassman]

The article is very vague and dodgy about how they can link your face to your social security number. I don't see how that can be possible. If my social security number is not on facebook, how is my face going to help them find it? It also begs the question, why bother?

[PerlNinja]

Your social security number is in part based on your birthdate and where you were born. Facial recognition and a sufficiently large database of samples will let them determine with about 60% accuracy where you're from, and an estimate age in years. Since most people on FB post their birthdays on their profile (either full, or only the day/month), there's a good chance they can in fact get your SSN.

I've been on this side of the IT industry before, and they're being dodgy in the article because it's not as hard to do as most people think; in fact it's relatively easy to pull off given a few geeks and some cash for hardware.

[ehque]

Hrmmm. The tech of recognising faces can be put to all sorts of useful or nefarious purposes. Facebook's tech might get the most practice and hence refinement, but don't tell me government agencies don't have the same sort of thing in place.

[MIJ-VI]

If I owned a computer with a built-in web cam I'd put a piece of tape over its lens.

Google:

Facebook the “greatest espionage tool in history”

Pentagon Plan to Monitor Activists On Facebook and Twitter

google spies on you

Firefox Addon Sounds When Google Spies Info

[Absentia]

The fact that I have to unblock facebook so a manager can view a potential hire's page (before they even read the resume) is reason enough.

[Quickie]

Originally Posted by MIJ-VI

If I owned a computer with a built-in web cam I'd put a piece of tape over its lens.

Google:

Facebook the “greatest espionage tool in history”

Pentagon Plan to Monitor Activists On Facebook and Twitter

google spies on you

Firefox Addon Sounds When Google Spies Info

Meh.

[Longhair]

Did you know that if you "delete" your facebook account, it never is deleted.

Open a dummy account, throw up some random pictures from the Internet, add some dummy posts and make some randomg friends. Once you are done with that, "delete it completely", wait about 30 days - well past the 14 day "in case you change your mind" period and log back in using the same email & password that you wanted deleted. All your status updates, pictures and friends will still be there with the great chance of more friend requests.

[PerlNinja]

@Longhair, that's more or less standard procedure when it boils down to sites like this. Storing your profile actually doesn't take all that much space, and it's easier to flag it as "deleted" and leave it there than to remove it, and fragment your storage all the way to hell and back.

Of course, having it around after supposedly "deleting" it also means they can still datamine up a storm, which is where the money comes from.

In general: If you expect privacy on the Internet, forget it, you have none. Something as innocent as this forum is already a treasure trove of information, some people use their real names on here, for one. Most of you post about gigs you've played, and based on that it's easy enough to find out not only which city you live in, but which area you're most likely residing.

Add to that the occasional comments about age, and other things that have gone on in your life, and anyone who has the time for it can build themselves a beautiful profile of you. Don't think it can't be done, it can, and it has been before.

In my "real life", I used to be an IT security guy. The one that gets paid to break in to systems, and one part of that is to profile each and every person that works in a company we're supposed to compromise. What do they like? Where do they live? Do they have any "dirt" we can use? Are they the type who will pick up a USB stick they find and just jack it into their PC? Are they gullible? Are they noobs? Are they... and so on and so forth.

Believe me when I say that with enough time, you can find out enough about a person to make that person abjectly uncomfortable that you know this much. And this is a 5-man company doing it mostly by hand. Now imagine having 200 grand to burn on hardware, storage, and some college-dropout genius who'll do this job because it's a fun challenge -- now we're talking.

Granted, given that I've filled out my profile it's easy enough for people to find out who I am, where I live, and what I tend to do, but not more than that. I'm fine with that, since I've given up on the notion of being anonymous or having any sort of privacy online.

[anonymous122511]

Originally Posted by PerlNinja

Granted, given that I've filled out my profile it's easy enough for people to find out who I am, where I live, and what I tend to do, but not more than that. I'm fine with that, since I've given up on the notion of being anonymous or having any sort of privacy online.

People are under the misconception that their personal info is being used against them in a personal manner when for the most part it isn't. The real value of FB is as a real time database of what that massive group of people thinks about anything from Lady Gaga to the deployment of troops. This is hugely valuable to all sorts of entities from marketing companies to security agencies. There is nothing else like FB out there and it represents a priceless body of data unavailable anywhere else. I'm not especially paranoid (because my life is relatively dull) I just don't like giving away for free info that's being used to sell me everything from pop stars to pants. This is what I mean.

[pacojas]

i don't FB,... (too scarey for a hermit)

even TB has me paranoid!

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Longhair

Did you know that if you "delete" your facebook account, it never is deleted.

Open a dummy account, throw up some random pictures from the Internet, add some dummy posts and make some randomg friends. Once you are done with that, "delete it completely", wait about 30 days - well past the 14 day "in case you change your mind" period and log back in using the same email & password that you wanted deleted. All your status updates, pictures and friends will still be there with the great chance of more friend requests.

I deleted mine about 45 days ago. Your test yields: "no user account associated with that email address."

[L-A]

Oh no! A website is going to use all the info I willingly put in it. Again!

Thieves!

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by PerlNinja

Your social security number is in part based on your birthdate and where you were born. Facial recognition and a sufficiently large database of samples will let them determine with about 60% accuracy where you're from, and an estimate age in years. Since most people on FB post their birthdays on their profile (either full, or only the day/month), there's a good chance they can in fact get your SSN.

I've been on this side of the IT industry before, and they're being dodgy in the article because it's not as hard to do as most people think; in fact it's relatively easy to pull off given a few geeks and some cash for hardware.

I call BS.

[hover]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I call BS.

seconded. I mean, I wasn't handed a decoder ring when I popped outta my Mum or anything.

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by hover

seconded. I mean, I wasn't handed a decoder ring when I popped outta my Mum or anything.

Duh everyone knows you get it on your 12th birthday.

[baalroo]

Sounds to me like the problem is with the concept of SSNs, not facebook. Maybe we need a new encryption based system for government identifications rather than a system invented for the privacy standards of 80 years ago.

[Radical Edward]

If you're not doing anything illegal.. you have nothing to hide anyway, right? Those of you who go to these extreme lengths to hide every bit of information about you make me wonder.. Are you aware that when you post a resume online, use a credit card anywhere, use your e-mail, etc, etc, you are giving out plenty of personal information that isn't all that hard to gather? However, if you have nothing to hide and aren't doing anything to gain the right people's attention, then they wont even take the time to look for you. I don't think it's such a bad thing for the government to know where serial killers and rapists are. I don't like that they have my information, without my consent, which is a clear violation of my rights.. but I feel that it's a necessary evil.
That said, the only people who will use your information, so long as you're not doing anything illegal, are going to be telemarketers and the like. If you tell them to put you on their "Do not call list" or to take you off of their mailing list, they are required to by law or face up to a $2000 charge every time they bother you.