Facebook Must Explain Privacy Practices to Congress

Analysis: Congressmembers say they want answers regarding Facebook’s data disclosure.

Facebook's plan to give developers access to users' addresses and phone numbers has not gone over so well with many, and now the heads of the House of Representatives' Privacy Caucus want answers. The feature only lasted three days as the social networking site decided to suspend it pending a better (and less controversial) option.

Read Full Article

Zuckerberg IM's Won't Help Facebooks Privacy Issues

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his company are suddenly facing a big new round of scrutiny and criticism about their cavalier attitude toward user privacy.

An early instant messenger exchange Mark had with a college friend won't help put these concerns to rest.

According to SAI sources, the following exchange is between a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and a friend shortly after Mark launched The Facebook in his dorm room:

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuck: Just ask.

Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS

[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?

Zuck: People just submitted it.

Zuck: I don't know why.

Zuck: They "trust me"

Zuck: Dumb fucks.

Brutal.

Could Mark have been completely joking? Sure. But the exchange does reveal that Facebook's aggressive attitude toward privacy may have begun early on.

Since Facebook launched, the company has faced one privacy flap after another, usually following changes to the privacy policy or new product releases. To its credit, the company has often modified its products based on such feedback. As the pioneer in a huge new market, Facebook will take heat for everything it does. It has also now grown into a $22 billion company run by adults who know that their future depends on Facebook users trusting the site's privacy policy.

But the company's attitude toward privacy, as reflected in Mark's early emails and IMs, features like Beacon and Instant Personalization, and the frequent changes to the privacy policy, has been consistently aggressive: Do something first, then see how people react.

And this does appear to reflect Mark's own views of privacy, which seem to be that people shouldn't care about it as much as they do -- an attitude that very much reflects the attitude of his generation.

After all, here's what early Facebook engineering boss, Harvard alum, and Zuckerberg confidant Charlie Cheever said in David Kirkpatrick's brilliantly-reported upcoming book The Facebook Effect.

"I feel Mark doesn't believe in privacy that much, or at least believes in privacy as a stepping stone. Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong."



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/well-these-new-zuckerberg-ims-wont-help-facebooks-privacy-problems-2010-5#ixzz1DHlbefuY

Calif. juror ordered to turn over Facebook posts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A California judge has ordered a juror to turn over Facebook messages he posted during the trial of several alleged gang members.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny said Friday that Arturo Ramirez could face jail time if he doesn't give Facebook permission to disclose the postings within 10 days.

Defense attorneys had requested the disclosure to determine whether Ramirez was influenced by any outside communication.

The five alleged gang members were convicted last year in the 2008 beating of a man at a gas station. They have yet to be sentenced.

Ramirez's posts allegedly characterized the evidence as "boring" and revealed he was on the jury.

His attorney says the judge's order an invasion of privacy and told the Sacramento Bee that he planned to appeal.

___

Information from: The Sacramento Bee, http://www.sacbee.com