back to article UK privacy watchdog sends poison pen letter to Zuckerberg et al

The UK's Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has fired another warning shot at Facebook over its paused plans to share data with WhatsApp, writing a newspaper column in which she outlines her concerns. Denham repeatedly took on Zuck and pals while she was assistant information commissioner in her home country of Canada, …

  1. Leeroy

    I'm behind Denham on this one !

    I would gladly pay for what's app if had not been bought out by Facebook.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I'm behind Denham on this one !

      Mmmmmm. Now there's a nice thought. Bwaahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!

      Note: Thank God for the ability to post AC.

      1. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Now there's a nice thought.
        Providing her arse matches the rather attractive face. Sadly, Google Images was no help in this regard.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          FFS

          Grow up

    2. Ole Juul

      I'm behind Denham on this one !

      Anybody who is going to get in Facebook's face is OK in my books.

  2. Mage Silver badge
    Pirate

    Wild West days are over ...

    I'd hope so, but I fear the frost will kill these green shoots.

  3. David Pollard

    Next the NHS?

    Hopefully she can to take a similarly strong line with respect to NHS data gathering, use and sale.

  4. HAL-9000

    meh!

    As if darth zucker will loose any sleep over that?! pffffttttt !! She could try posting about her disdain on failbook itself : might even be censored ;)

    1. Known Hero

      Re: meh!

      Thats the attitude !!! We do love a can do spirit !

      Just remember, there isn't any point in trying cause you're just the little guy (this message brought to you from megacorp)

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Schrems

  5. Pompous Git Silver badge

    Delete your account

    "unless you opt out of data sharing within the first 30 days, the only option if you’re not happy is to delete your account"
    How does that work then? I deleted mine years ago and I still get reminders from Farcebook telling me I can reactivate my account and all my "stuff" is still there.

    1. Allan 1

      Re: Delete your account

      Most people THINK they have deleted their accounts, when all they have actually done is deactivated it.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Delete your account

      You want to reactivate it and DELETE it (not "deactivate").

      1. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Re: Delete your account

        You want to reactivate it and DELETE it (not "deactivate").
        I did delete it by clicking on a button with the word DELETE on it. I have no intention of reactivating my account just to do so AGAIN.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Delete your account

          You need to check FB's T&Cs. Deleting an account does not delete the data. FB claims the right to keep your data (and sell it) until the heat death of the universe.

          The best approach is the one I adopted - I never had a FB account in the first place.

          1. Dave Bell

            Re: Delete your account

            Facebook have shown that they have no concerns about distributing lies and abuse.

            While it's more common in the USA than in the UK, news media are using Facebook as the gatekeepers for comments on what they publish.

            Facebook claim, with not much evidence, to only have accounts with real people, despite the lies and abuse. They don't seem to be willing to let real people adopt masks to hide from abusers, and if I were in that situation, could I trust them with my real identity?

            People have been using UserIDs with no obvious connections to their real name since the earliest days of Usenet and email. That is not the same as being untraceable. That is part of why we have laws protecting personal information. I am not hugely bothered by Facebook selling a service that delivers an advert for a third party to one of their customers. They don't have to tell anyone else who I am to do that.

            Unfortunately, they have lousy selection methods, and do tell other businesses who I am. Because they don't do the delivery, they suffer no penalty for incompetence. They can even get away with "killing" their own boss.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Delete your account

            Have an upvote for talking sense.

            The same goes for Twitter and all the other so called social media sites.

            Most just allow unfettered hatred to spread. What is social about that eh?

            Posting AC simply because I have never had an account on any of these sites and never will.

            Plus I don't want my life held in the Google/Facebok/Twitter AI.

            It is not that I don't have anything to hide but I value my privacy.

            1. dougdaslug1

              Re: Delete your account

              Or giving a little more power which apparently ads up to billions of $s

          3. dougdaslug1

            Re: Delete your account

            What is the next best option besides deleting which is really only deactivating.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So that's

    what a Chocolate Fireguard looks like.

  7. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    Sounds like she actually understands the issues

    which seems to be a bit of a novelty.

    Let's see if she can actually change their behavior

    1. P. Lee

      Re: Sounds like she actually understands the issues

      >Let's see if she can actually change their behavior

      Or you can change your own behaviour by not putting your data on other people's servers.

      1. Adam 52 Silver badge

        Re: Sounds like she actually understands the issues

        Gonna make having a job difficult.

      2. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        Re: Sounds like she actually understands the issues

        "Or you can change your own behaviour by not putting your data on other people's servers."

        Sure. But if you signed up to some little company's app a few years ago, don't use the app any longer, then find out (long after it actually happened) that that company was bought by the company you despise most on this planet, what do you do?

        Now I have to start mucking about with Whatsapp again just to try to make sure Farcebook isn't selling my data.. And in doing so stirring up more junk email heading my way. Or should I just never again start the damned app? Probably safest that way.

        Just like Skype.

  8. FuzzyWuzzys
    Facepalm

    Yeah right!

    "I don’t think people have been given enough information about what Facebook plans to do with WhatsApp users’ data," she notes, "and that’s left people concerned about how extensive the data sharing could be. And I don’t think users have been given enough control over what’s happening."

    Ha ha ha! Very funny, oh wait you're serious. For a moment I thought you were saying that most users of mobile apps give more than a split-second pause about what happens to their personal data, I'm sorry but I find that incredibly hard to believe...oh shiny new game/app on the app store that all my mates have that I have to now...hang on I'll be back when I've downloaded and signed into it using 16 out of the 27 social media accounts I've signed up to....

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