back to article German group urges boycott over Facebook privacy shake-up

A German consumer group is urging surfers to ditch Facebook in protest over proposed privacy changes, AFP reports. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBZ) wants users to abandon Facebook for other social networks in order to pressure Zuckerberg's baby into reconsidering a controversial data sharing plan. VZBZ …

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  1. Pirate Peter
    Grenade

    a small list of third party site

    and will facebook publish that list of sites so users can see where their data is going?

    what will those third party sites do with the data,

    sell it on?

    add it to ther datasets ?

    the thought is just too dire to comprehend, when you think of the level of personal information, and facebook being based in the US is outside UK data protection laws (not certian if it is part of the safe harbour agreement but doubt it)

    users beware where you spread personal information as once it is released you can never erase it

    peter

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Great idea.

    They should create a 'Boycott Facebook' Facebook group to help get the message out.

  3. Christoph
    Pirate

    "Carefully Selected"

    Is there any evidence whatever that this selection will not be exactly the same as every other company that hands data to "Carefully Selected" other companies?

    Carefully Selected as those that will pay them the most for the data.

    1. Andy ORourke
      Unhappy

      You said it........

      The only selection criteria will be "can you pay £x for this data?"

  4. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!

    "carefully selected third-party companies"

    Translation: anyone who pays them for the info....

    Just like the (e- or snail) mailing lists sold on by pretty much every company in the country if you do tick the box / don't tick the box / tick the box with too small a tick / tick the box with too big a tick / tick the box with the wrong color pen.

    I don't (for once) understand the problem. Every time you hand over your info to any commercial enterprise, you have to specify that you don't want them to pimp your data out. Is what FaceBook is doing too different? As long as you have the opt-out option, how is it different from what everyone else from banks to supermarkets do, aside from the volume & nature of the data they want to flog?

    If you use a Nectar card, Sainsburys want to sell details of your shopping to their Nectar partners - I find that more invasive than if I had a FB profile and Zucker wanted to sell details about how many friends I have on my list or what sort of stuffed toy I am...

    (Note: I don't have an FB account, and I'm no fan of / apologist for them. If there's a blindingly obvious reason which is only apparent to FB users, forgive me for not knowing about it!)

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ditch the damn thing anyway...

    I mean, what the hell is Facebook all about? So that a lot of sad people can exchange chat with other sad people?

    Go for a walk. Join a club. Take up a hobby. Make some REAL friends. Whatever - just get a life.

    1. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Ditch the damn thing anyway...

      Yeah, communicating on the internet is wack, is it not...

      If you're doing it right, Facebook facilitates your activities in real life, with your real friends. One of its best functions is event planning. But you'd know since you've tried it and decided it's not for you, right?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Communicating on the internet is fine...

        ...I do it all the time. But communication is one thing, obsessive compulsive behaviour is another, and I reckon that applies to a huge number of Facebook users. Using it to 'facilitate' real life is fine in my book. Using it to avoid real life and real personal interaction is quite another. I know people who get withdrawal symptoms if their every-waking-hour Facebooking is interrupted - they don't access Facebook, they live there, via every device that can access the service.

        I'm not suggesting Facebook - or any other social network - should be banned. This is a free country. But it's a sad, sad, way to spend a life - and for so many people that's the effect if not the intention. What I was suggesting is that there ARE other options - healthier options both physically and mentally - and I'll be the first to admit the options don't have to be mutually exclusive.

        And yes... I tried it and decided most definitely it wasn't for me...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      Re: Ditch the damn thing anyway...

      So, people are sad for using Facebook? Sad for keeping up to date with family in America? Sad for wanting to know what friends in Australia have been up to? Sad for being kept informed when their favourite musicians are on tour? Sad for keeping in touch with schoolmates and meeting up for a pint or two?

      Or, are the really sad people those without a Facebook account, therefore have no interest in Facebook, have no interest in Facebook's privacy policy, but, who still read articles on the net about Facebook and feel the need to abuse millions of people around the world and call them sad?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    sadly

    the majority of facebook users either don't care or don't understand the consequences. The best thing you can do is just delete your data, then your account rather than constantly threatening to do so.

    fb are never going to stop moving in the direction they are currently heading in no matter how much you threaten to leave - just get out now before they sell/give away any more of your privacy.

  7. Wize
    Coat

    @John 186

    "I mean, what the hell is Facebook all about? So that a lot of sad people can exchange chat with other sad people?"

    Just like on here? Is this your coat?

  8. Mark Boothroyd

    Data Protection Act in the UK

    Does the contact between yourself and Facebook, that you have to agree to in order to join up, include a clause to allow Facebook to provide data to 3rd parties?

    If yes, then there really is no grounds to complain, (not legally anyway), as you've already agreed to allow Facebook to provide your data to 3rd parties.

    If no, then as far as I'm aware Facebook would be open to prosecution under the Data Protection Act, because data gathered for one purpose, such as populating a profile on a web site, cannot be used for any other purpose without your explicit consent.

  9. RobotHead
    Big Brother

    Sheeple?

    How do we cure naivity? My teenagers never listen when i talk about personal data.

    The only phrase they ever pay attention to is "Do you really want your ex to know that?"

    Me thinks we need something adding to the water.

    Big Brother, cos he's real!

  10. gordonmattey

    company boycott

    this group in Germany needs to pitch companies, not people. people don't know and don't care for the most part (a hypothesis)

    if companies boycotted facebook 100% - on behalf of their users - then it will influence facebook to act differently - if the companies were significant enough to FB - big media, retailers etc

  11. gordonmattey

    Check out the new fb privacy policy for yourselves

    http://digg.com/d31NsJb

  12. Winkypop Silver badge
    Stop

    At what point.....

    ...does a popular cause become an obsession and then turn into a religion/sect/cult?

    The cult of FaceBook

    -----------------------------

    All praise the great Book of Face !!!

    May all your Friends be for ever connected.

    May you never be unfriended...

    [etc]

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Privacy and networking sites

    Although I don't have a FB account, I know that at least some of my friends have allowed FB to scan their email to create a list of their friends and acquaintances, which would include at least my name and email address. It would be easy for FB to use this data to create a pseudo profile for me which includes the details of many people that I know, and if this profile is given to third parties the question of permission would not arise, at least not my permission.

    The behaviour of networking sites in harvesting information about people and their friends is quite frankly creepy and is getting worse as the sites think of new ways to get people to acknowledge friendships and pass on private information. For example Friends Reunited has started asking me to accept people whose profiles I've ever viewed as friends, and it's probably doing the same to them too. I didn't ask them to do that, and can't switch off this behaviour.

    I would advise anyone to ditch these sites if they value their privacy, that of their friends, and their friendships.

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