4 ms·

Wow, a few weeks ago I was joking that if Facebook went through my private messages, I wouldn't be surprised, based on how scummy they've behaved in the past. N

by iyulaev 14y ago

Wow, a few weeks ago I was joking that if Facebook went through my private messages, I wouldn't be surprised, based on how scummy they've behaved in the past. Now apparently they've done this, except also shared everything with the whole world. I don't think I have to say this, but this is totally, 100% unacceptable. Back then I was using FB almost as a personal e-mail; the consequences of something like this could be cataclysmic. Can you imagine having your personal email "accidentally" posted to the general public?

drbawb 14y ago
This is where someone typically parrots: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." -- Eric Schmidt; Executive Chairman, Google, Inc. To which I reply: I'm sorry, but my personal matters are personal _expressly because_ I've found people to be ignorant, bigoted, biased, or otherwise untrustworthy when it comes to matters of my identity. The fact that I could lose my job because of my thoughts on cannabis prohibition? Or that I could be disowned because of my political and [lack of] religious tendencies? These things are private not because they're wrong, Mr. Schmidt. They're private because _someone_ thinks they're wrong; and _someone_ is making decisions that could impact _my future_ by judging what's publicly available. I can no longer trust Facebook to be a secure messaging platform, which is basically all I used it for. I'm going to take charge of my web presence to whatever degree I can. I'm done letting large corporations abuse my data for their own gain, only to have shit like this happen.
- stanleydrew 14y ago
  And the obligatory full-context followup: Q: People are treating Google like their most trusted friend. Should they be? A: I think judgement matters… If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. But if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines including Google do retain this information for some time, and it’s important, for example that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act. It is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities.”
- icebraining 14y ago
  As much as I disagree with Schmidt about true anonymity being "too dangerous," I have to point out that he said anyone, not everyone, and he was specifically mentioning the government.

by iyulaev 14y ago

drbawb 14y ago

This is where someone typically parrots: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." -- Eric Schmidt; Executive Chairman, Google, Inc. To which I reply: I'm sorry, but my personal matters are personal _expressly because_ I've found people to be ignorant, bigoted, biased, or otherwise untrustworthy when it comes to matters of my identity. The fact that I could lose my job because of my thoughts on cannabis prohibition? Or that I could be disowned because of my political and [lack of] religious tendencies? These things are private not because they're wrong, Mr. Schmidt. They're private because _someone_ thinks they're wrong; and _someone_ is making decisions that could impact _my future_ by judging what's publicly available. I can no longer trust Facebook to be a secure messaging platform, which is basically all I used it for. I'm going to take charge of my web presence to whatever degree I can. I'm done letting large corporations abuse my data for their own gain, only to have shit like this happen.

stanleydrew 14y ago
And the obligatory full-context followup: Q: People are treating Google like their most trusted friend. Should they be? A: I think judgement matters… If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. But if you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines including Google do retain this information for some time, and it’s important, for example that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act. It is possible that that information could be made available to the authorities.”
icebraining 14y ago
As much as I disagree with Schmidt about true anonymity being "too dangerous," I have to point out that he said anyone, not everyone, and he was specifically mentioning the government.