I totally agree with syshum's comments on this thread, I had the same thoughts while reflecting on this article. Facebook (and LinkedIn and others) love to get

I totally agree with syshum's comments on this thread, I had the same thoughts while reflecting on this article. Facebook (and LinkedIn and others) love to get your email login and grab your list of contacts. This is the exact same situation, except now fb is the dominant network and doesn't want other networks to get its users' data, even if those users explicitly authorize it. So it really boils down to what data the TOCs can lock down (fb would want it all locked) and what users should be allowed to "control" (I think it should be the users' right to control their data). And with the CFAA, or at least this court's interpretation, the government has sided massively with corporations, to the detriment of users (aka non-corporate citizens) and markets. There is also the whole issue of C&D letters being binding. Just because a Corp (or person) believes something and has a lawyer paid to write up that belief does not make it a legally enforceable document. For example: I have vegetation on my property that produces oxygen. I like oxygen and I reserve all oxygen produced on my property for myself. You are hearby notified that all oxygen produced on my property, no matter where it is currently located belongs to me and you must cease and desist from consuming it. [edited to add:] Or maybe those who don't want to be on Facebook can send it a cease and desist order to stop collecting data about them. I bet if you tried to enforce that, you'd find that the government doesn't protect citizens' right to their own data with overly broad laws the way it protects companies' right to gather and lock down data.