In an out-of-court settlement, Facebook has agreed to shutdown Beacon, as well as, fund a foundation to promote online privacy.
Beacon is a Facebook marketing program. The program was based on “trusted referrals”. A Facebook members’ friends would be notified of purchases made through Beacon. The problem was… Facebook members did not know they were part of the Beacon program. They were automatically opted-in.
There was trouble with the program right from the start. Members complained about holiday gifts they were giving and receiving. In 2008, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of 19 members against Facebook, as well as, Blockbuster, Fandango, Overstock.com, and other companies that were in the Beacon network. To settle the suit, Facebook has agreed to stop Beacon and start a foundation to promote online privacy, safety and security by funding $9.5 million.
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There is a massive phishing scam posing as a Facebook notification. The incomding email looks like this:
facebook
Hi, myemail@exampledomain.com.
Click here
Thanks,
The Facebook Team
Learn More
This message was intended for myemail@exampledomain.com. If you do not wish to receive this type of email from Facebook in the future, please click here to unsubscribe.
Facebook’s offices are located at 1601 S. California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304.
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However, if you view the source code of the email, you will see the links are not Facebook links. There are at least 3 bogus links in the email: click here, learn more and please click here to unsubscribe. The links actually take you to a site with domain names like “checkout.kduziluv.cn” or “ticket.cjegufut.cn”.
Find out more about the Canadian Pharmacy Scam
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Cover blown?
London — You need to be careful what you post to social networking sites. The Mail, a London newspaper, reported that the new head of the British Spy agency the Secret Intelligence Service cover was blown on Facebook. The SIS, more popularly known as MI6, is England’s intelligence gathering organization.
The Mail reported, “The new head of MI6 has been left exposed by a major personal security breach after his wife published intimate photographs and family details on the Facebook website.”
“But his wife’s entries on the social networking site have exposed potentially compromising details about where they live and work, who their friends are and where they spend their holidays.”
“Amazingly, she had put virtually no privacy protection on her account, making it visible to any of the site’s 200million users who chose to be in the open-access ‘London’ network – regardless of where in the world they actually were.”
The SIS promptly took the information down after inquiries were made by The Mail; however, the newspaper printed the information and pictures in a two page spread.
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As the elections draw near in Iran, they have blocked access to Facebook.
“Every single media outlet that is seen as competition for Ahmadinejad is at risk of being closed,” said a top aide. “Placing limits on the competition is the top priority of the government.”
“Facebook is one of the only independent sources that the Iranian youth could use to communicate.”
A spokesperson for Facebook said, “We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions.”
“We believe that people around the world should be able to use Facebook to communicate and share information with their friends, family and co-workers. It is always a shame when a country’s cultural and political concerns lead to limits being placed on the opportunity for sharing and expression that the Internet provides.”
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