Facebook Users Duped Over Another Privacy Notice Hoax
The Internet at large has proved a breeding ground for hoaxes, and the platform of choice these days appears to be Facebook. Makes sense, considering it's audience of 864 million daily active users, and 1.35 billion if tallying active users on a monthly basis. So, if you've used Facebook recently, then you've probably seen friends and family members posting messages forbidding the social networking site from using their posts and pictures in any way without their permission, followed by a warning that you should copy and paste the post to your wall, too. Only you shouldn't, because all it does is alert people that know better that you fell for a hoax.
Here's the thing, everyone who signs up with Facebook must first agree to the site's privacy policies and other terms and conditions. Periodically Facebook will update its terms, and you're free to close down your account at any time if you don't agree them. Posting a message to your wall doesn't trump the terms you've agreed to, which is really beside the point, because Facebook isn't out to steal your photos and status updates for its own nefarious gain.
We're probably preaching to the choir here, but here's what one of those posts looks like:
The wording may be a little different, but the general message is the same, and it's one that makes the rounds on Facebook every so often. Some of them will reach for credibility by claiming the warning's been verified by a TV news entity or major news conglomerate -- in fact, sources like USA Today and CBS are reporting this one as a hoax.
When in doubt about these types of things, or any wild claims you read about on the Internet, a great resource is Snopes.com, which investigates these types of things and will not only tell you if they're legit or a hoax, but how it all started and other interesting details. Here's the entry for the privacy hoax currently making the rounds.
In any event, you can rest easy that Facebook is running wild with your information.
Here's the thing, everyone who signs up with Facebook must first agree to the site's privacy policies and other terms and conditions. Periodically Facebook will update its terms, and you're free to close down your account at any time if you don't agree them. Posting a message to your wall doesn't trump the terms you've agreed to, which is really beside the point, because Facebook isn't out to steal your photos and status updates for its own nefarious gain.
We're probably preaching to the choir here, but here's what one of those posts looks like:
The wording may be a little different, but the general message is the same, and it's one that makes the rounds on Facebook every so often. Some of them will reach for credibility by claiming the warning's been verified by a TV news entity or major news conglomerate -- in fact, sources like USA Today and CBS are reporting this one as a hoax.
When in doubt about these types of things, or any wild claims you read about on the Internet, a great resource is Snopes.com, which investigates these types of things and will not only tell you if they're legit or a hoax, but how it all started and other interesting details. Here's the entry for the privacy hoax currently making the rounds.
In any event, you can rest easy that Facebook is running wild with your information.
