The Bad
As if it weren't already dangerous enough to be on Facebook, Ellinor Mills writes in her column on CNET that researchers have found Facebook is vulnerable to click-jacking. In essence, click-jacking is putting an invisible layer over a legitimate web page. When a link on the legitimate page is clicked, the invisible layer hijacks the click and sends the person somewhere they didn't want to go. The same researchers also noted that Facebook allows third party apps to access user data without warning them. I've talked about this before - most recently in response to a comment yesterday. Facebook had a response to this problem:
"The only information apps can access without first showing the 'Allow' screen is publicly available information (the limited set of info that includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, friend list, and pages) and information set to be visible to everyone on the Internet," Facebook spokesman Simon Axten said.
The "limited set of info" seems overly broad. Does mafia war really need to know the networks I belong to and every friend I have on Facebook? And the default for all information on Facebook is now "set to be visible to everyone on the internet," so Facebook tells the apps I use everything I have on Facebook, unless I've changed the defaults. And they don't tell me they're doing it. It would be interesting to know how many people tighten their privacy on their Facebook accounts. I bet it's a pretty low percentage.
The Columbus Dispatch carried an article by Bridget Carey highlighting the many ways you risk identity theft by using Facebook. They range from viruses to fake friend requests. The problem is only made worse by the tendency to be more trusting on sites like Facebook.
The Good
The Tech Chronicles blog notes that Facebook is warning users about Haiti relief hoaxes. If you want to help Haiti through Facebook, go to the Facebook Global Disaster Relief Page.
A cnn.com story informs us that caller id spoofing company spoofem.com is going to be giving 2 super bowl tickets away to people who become fans of their Facebook page.
Well, that's the good and the bad today.
I agree about the applications wanting to access your data. I think that is why they have added the extra layer in there that asks you to grant permissions. However, I am not familiar with changes to current applications that I have used. I think I have my FB account locked down about as much as I want to... I and I definitely do not put much info out there about myself to begin with. Nor do I "buy coins" or whatever else they want you to do which required access to your credit card.
ReplyDeleteLots of stuff to look at and common sense is the key. If something looks too good to be true.... well you know the rest of the story.
The only permissions I'm ever asked for are to publish my "accomplishments" in an app on my friends walls. I think one app may have told me that it was going to get my friends info from me and ask if I was sure I wanted to do that. And my answer was "no". Which is why Facebook has made that warning less likely to appear.
ReplyDeleteWhat about your bank? Looks whats going on at Plains
ReplyDeletehttp://lubbockonline.com/stories/012010/loc_552235229.shtml
tx_plow_boy, I promise, if you bring something up once I will either say something, let you know when I will say something, or tell you I'm not interested. And generally the latest post is all you need to comment on.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're reading, and I will talk about Plains within the next 18 hours.