Zuck slapped down for privacy breaches in Germany again The long-running dispute between Facebook and Germany's consumer watchdogs is all over, bar the shouting. Reuters reports the decision by the Federal Court of Justice that the “friend finder” feature is unlawful, backed up decisions by two lower courts in 2012 and 2014. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations, the …
Easy, don't worry about petty things like fines and certainly don't block it, as then people will demand that it's reinstated (no doubt what Facebook want them to do).
Nope simply block the IP addresses of all the advertising companies and those paying to receive data feeds and say they are aiding and funding a criminal enterprise.
Now THAT will get Facebook to take notice.
It means that any similar new start up can't pull the same trick. Facebook benefit from having done it earlier.
How is that going to be corrected?
And what about Android looking up callers' caller ID? It's a similar third party data slurp without consent that gives zero benefit to anyone but Google. That'll have to go too.
Android caller' call ID is a little different, it checks it against the contact list on the phone. It doesn't send it to the Chocolate Factory, who then send out emails trying to recruit the caller to use Android...
As to the first point, the damage has been done - and WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Xing etc. also do similar things, as the ruling suggests. Using the contact list in that way is illegal. The only thing they can really do is fine the networks and ensure that new businesses don't break the law.
I hardly think Facebook were the first people to do this, the rape address book "feature" was around long ago.
It's an absolutely abhorrent practice. I've torn strips off my mates for doing it "how dare you give xxxxx.com my email address"
Sadly people still do it. You can tell by the linkedin invites I get. I should point out I'm a member of several professional social networks. A sailing club and a Rugby Club. Neither of those abuse my mates using my address book.
People sign up, give up their privacy rights, upload their list of contacts without even thinking about it. And most of the contacts are not even surprised.
And companies make it bloody annoying. When I joined LinkedIn, it was almost impossible to do anything with it because of the constant "let us riffle through your contacts" reminders.
People do care. I certainly care when my acquaintances upload my address to Facebook and Co. and I get messages telling me to join, as my friends are there.
My wife is really vocal about it and is paranoid that photos of her will land online. When we go to parties etc. she explicitly tells people with cameras that no pictures of her can be loaded onto the Internet.
My wife is really vocal about it and is paranoid that photos of her will land online. When we go to parties etc. she explicitly tells people with cameras that no pictures of her can be loaded onto the Internet.
That's… interesting. Depending on the place where you live, people don't need her permission, though.
She'll need constant vigilance! Or one of these fashionable veils covering her face.
First I would require all data collected via FB to be handed over to Europe so the local advertisers can be fined for being complicit and a total ban on all of FB access until they comply.
European blocking of FB and any other external company that ignores European privacy laws should be implemented immediately before going to court, that is, if they wish this sort of thing to stop wasting European tax payer money.
If the music/movie industry can declare anyone they like guilty without requiring any sort of proof then the precident is already set and can be applied to the likes of FB without having to go to court
Hit their profiling and advertisers it is the only way to deal with The SpyCorps flagrent disregard for local protection laws
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
