Facebook Passes Google in Web Traffic!

[Guest Greenzen]

According to Compete’s data, 15% of Web traffic to Yahoo, MSN and AOL in Dec 2009 originated from Facebook and MySpace. That 15% was split 13% for Facebook and 2% for MySpace. Surprisingly, Google only provided 7% of traffic, and were even beat out by eBay with 7.61%.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/14/BUU51C0AMN.DTL

[Guest Mr. Bucket]

The controversy over Facebook's aggressive attempts to cash in on information about its members is heating up. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "anti-Facebook sentiment is surfacing in highly visible places, from the halls of Congress to the blogs and podcasts of influential technology experts like Leo Laporte of Petaluma."It seems to me that ultimately their goal is to funnel all Internet traffic through Facebook.com," said Laporte, who deleted his Facebook profile during a recent podcast and donated money to Diaspora, a project to create a more open and private alternative to Facebook. Laporte was inspired to put an end to his Facebook account by a recent blog post by Jason Calacanis, chief executive officer of Mahalo, a question-and-answer Web site. He accused Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of trading users' privacy for profit. ... Facebook convened a staff meeting Thursday to discuss the backlash, although some staff members described it as a routine gathering. ...

 

"Earlier this month, the Electronic Privacy Information Center and 14 other privacy and consumer organizations filed a complaint against Facebook with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing the popular social network of "unfair and deceptive trade practices" and violating users' expectations of privacy and consumer protection laws. And last month, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., asked the FTC to develop guidelines instructing social networks on how private information can be used. All of this comes in the wake of the company's launch of a new "open" social platform designed to bring Facebook features, such as its Like button, to other Web sites, and an experimental Instant Personalization feature that gives certain Web sites the ability to access a member's name, profile picture, sex and network of friends. The company also launched community pages that made topics in a member's profile more public."

[Guest Human]

I read their terms of service, and I honestly got to say; you signed on.

 

It's like any other contract; you don't read it? It aint their fault.

[Guest User]

Here are some of the Facebook's terms.

 

Facebook’s Privacy Policy.

 

Date of last revision: April 22, 2010.

 

nformation you provide to us:

 

Information About Yourself. When you sign up for Facebook you provide us with your name, email, gender, and birth date. During the registration process we give you the opportunity to connect with your friends, schools, and employers. You will also be able to add a picture of yourself. In some cases we may ask for additional information for security reasons or to provide specific services to you. Once you register you can provide other information about yourself by connecting with, for example, your current city, hometown, family, relationships, networks, activities, interests, and places. You can also provide personal information about yourself, such as your political and religious views.

 

Content. One of the primary reasons people use Facebook is to share content with others. Examples include when you update your status, upload or take a photo, upload or record a video, share a link, create an event or a group, make a comment, write something on someone’s Wall, write a note, or send someone a message. If you do not want us to store metadata associated with content you share on Facebook (such as photos), please remove the metadata before uploading the content.

 

Transactional Information. We may retain the details of transactions or payments you make on Facebook. If you do not want us to store your payment source account number, you can remove it using your payments page.

 

Friend Information. We offer contact importer tools to help you upload your friends’ addresses so that you can find your friends on Facebook, and invite your contacts who do not have Facebook accounts to join. If you do not want us to store this information, visit this help page. If you give us your password to retrieve those contacts, we will not store your password after you have uploaded your contacts’ information.

 

Information we collect when you interact with Facebook:

 

Site activity information. We keep track of some of the actions you take on Facebook, such as adding connections (including joining a group or adding a friend), creating a photo album, sending a gift, poking another user, indicating you “like” a post, attending an event, or connecting with an application. In some cases you are also taking an action when you provide information or content to us. For example, if you share a video, in addition to storing the actual content you uploaded, we might log the fact that you shared it.

 

Access Device and Browser Information. When you access Facebook from a computer, mobile phone, or other device, we may collect information from that device about your browser type, location, and IP address, as well as the pages you visit.

 

Cookie Information. We use "cookies" (small pieces of data we store for an extended period of time on your computer, mobile phone, or other device) to make Facebook easier to use, to make our advertising better, and to protect both you and Facebook. For example, we use them to store your login ID (but never your password) to make it easier for you to login whenever you come back to Facebook. We also use them to confirm that you are logged into Facebook, and to know when you are interacting with Facebook Platform applications and websites, our widgets and Share buttons, and our advertisements. You can remove or block cookies using the settings in your browser, but in some cases that may impact your ability to use Facebook.

 

3. Sharing information on Facebook.

 

This section explains how your privacy settings work, and how your information is shared on Facebook. You should always consider your privacy settings before sharing information on Facebook.

 

Name and Profile Picture. Facebook is designed to make it easy for you to find and connect with others. For this reason, your name and profile picture do not have privacy settings. If you are uncomfortable with sharing your profile picture, you should delete it (or not add one). You can also control who can find you when searching on Facebook or on public search engines using your search settings.

 

Contact Information. Your contact information settings control who can contact you on Facebook, and who can see your contact information such as your email and phone number(s). Remember that none of this information is required except for your email address, and you do not have to share your email address with anyone.

 

Personal Information. Your personal information settings control who can see your personal information, such as your religious and political views, if you choose to add them. We recommend that you share this information using the friends of friends setting.

 

Posts by Me. You can select a privacy setting for every post you make using the publisher on our site. Whether you are uploading a photo or posting a status update, you can control exactly who can see it at the time you create it. Whenever you share something look for the lock icon. Clicking on the lock will bring up a menu that lets you choose who will be able to see your post. If you decide not to select your setting at the time you post the content, your content will be shared consistent with your Posts by Me privacy setting.

 

Connections. Facebook enables you to connect with virtually anyone or anything you want, from your friends and family to the city you live in to the restaurants you like to visit to the bands and movies you love. Because it takes two to connect, your privacy settings only control who can see the connection on your profile page. If you are uncomfortable with the connection being publicly available, you should consider removing (or not making) the connection.

 

Gender and Birth Date. In addition to name and email address, we require you to provide your gender and birth date during the registration process. We ask for your date of birth to verify that you are 13 or older, and so that we can better limit your access to content and advertisements that are not age appropriate. Because your date of birth and gender are required, you cannot delete them. You can, however, edit your profile to hide all (or part) of such fields from other users.

 

Other. Here are some other things to remember:

 

 

* Some of the content you share and the actions you take will show up on your friends’ home pages and other pages they visit.

* If another user tags you in a photo or video or at a place, you can remove the tag. You can also limit who can see that you have been tagged on your profile from your privacy settings.

* Even after you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users.

* You understand that information might be reshared or copied by other users.

* Certain types of communications that you send to other users cannot be removed, such as messages.

* When you post information on another user’s profile or comment on another user’s post, that information will be subject to the other user’s privacy settings.

* If you use an external source to publish information to Facebook (such as a mobile application or a Connect site), you should check the privacy setting for that post, as it is set by that external source.

 

"Everyone” Information. Information set to "everyone" is publicly available information, just like your name, profile picture, and connections. Such information may, for example, be accessed by everyone on the Internet (including people not logged into Facebook), be indexed by third party search engines, and be imported, exported, distributed, and redistributed by us and others without privacy limitations. Such information may also be associated with you, including your name and profile picture, even outside of Facebook, such as on public search engines and when you visit other sites on the internet. The default privacy setting for certain types of information you post on Facebook is set to “everyone.” You can review and change the default settings in your privacy settings. If you delete “everyone” content that you posted on Facebook, we will remove it from your Facebook profile, but have no control over its use outside of Facebook.

 

When your friends use Platform. If your friend connects with an application or website, it will be able to access your name, profile picture, gender, user ID, and information you have shared with “everyone.” It will also be able to access your connections, except it will not be able to access your friend list. If you have already connected with (or have a separate account with) that website or application, it may also be able to connect you with your friend on that application or website. If the application or website wants to access any of your other content or information (including your friend list), it will have to obtain specific permission from your friend. If your friend grants specific permission to the application or website, it will generally only be able to access content and information about you that your friend can access. In addition, it will only be allowed to use that content and information in connection with that friend. For example, if a friend gives an application access to a photo you only shared with your friends, that application could allow your friend to view or print the photo, but it cannot show that photo to anyone else.

 

We provide you with a number of tools to control how your information is shared when your friend connects with an application or website. For example, you can use your application privacy settings to limit some of the information your friends can make available to applications and websites. You can also block particular applications or websites from accessing your information. You can use your privacy settings to limit which friends can access your information, or limit which of your information is available to “everyone.” You can also disconnect from a friend if you are uncomfortable with how they are using your information.

 

Pre-Approved Third-Party Websites and Applications. In order to provide you with useful social experiences off of Facebook, we occasionally need to provide General Information about you to pre-approved third party websites and applications that use Platform at the time you visit them (if you are still logged in to Facebook). Similarly, when one of your friends visits a pre-approved website or application, it will receive General Information about you so you and your friend can be connected on that website as well (if you also have an account with that website). In these cases we require these websites and applications to go through an approval process, and to enter into separate agreements designed to protect your privacy. For example, these agreements include provisions relating to the access and deletion of your General Information, along with your ability to opt-out of the experience being offered. You can also remove any pre-approved website or application you have visited here, or block all pre-approved websites and applications from getting your General Information when you visit them here. In addition, if you log out of Facebook before visiting a pre-approved application or website, it will not be able to access your information. You can see a complete list of pre-approved websites on our About Platform page.

 

Exporting Information. You (and those you make your information available to) may use tools like RSS feeds, mobile phone address book applications, or copy and paste functions, to capture, export (and in some cases, import) information from Facebook, including your information and information about you. For example, if you share your phone number with your friends, they may use third party applications to sync that information with the address book on their mobile phone.

To help your friends find you. We allow other users to use contact information they have about you, such as your email address, to find you, including through contact importers and search. You can prevent other users from using your email address to find you using your search setting.

 

Downloadable Software. Certain downloadable software applications and applets that we offer, such as our browser toolbars and photo uploaders, transmit data to us. We may not make a formal disclosure if we believe our collection of and use of the information is the obvious purpose of the application, such as the fact that we receive photos when you use our photo uploader. If we believe it is not obvious that we are collecting or using such information, we will make a disclosure to you the first time you provide the information to us so that you can decide whether you want to use that feature.

 

Memorializing Accounts. If we are notified that a user is deceased, we may memorialize the user’s account. In such cases we restrict profile access to confirmed friends, and allow friends and family to write on the user’s Wall in remembrance. We may close an account if we receive a formal request from the user’s next of kin or other proper legal request to do so.

 

 

Friend Information. We offer contact importer tools to help you upload your friends’ addresses so that you can find your friends on Facebook, and invite your contacts who do not have Facebook accounts to join. If you do not want us to store this information, visit this help page. If you give us your password to retrieve those contacts, we will not store your password after you have uploaded your contacts’ information.

 

When you invite a friend to join. When you ask us to invite a friend to join Facebook, we will send your friend a message on your behalf using your name. The invitation may also contain information about other users your friend might know. We may also send up to two reminders to them in your name. You can see who has accepted your invitations, send reminders, and delete your friends’ email addresses on your invite history page. If your friend does not want us to keep their information, we will also remove it at their request by using this help page.

 

When you choose to share your information with marketers. You may choose to share information with marketers or electronic commerce providers that are not associated with Facebook through on-site offers. This is entirely at your discretion and we will not provide your information to these marketers without your consent.

 

To help your friends find you. By default, we make certain information you have posted to your profile available in search results on Facebook to help your friends find you. However, you can control who can see some of this information, as well as who can find you in searches, through your privacy settings. We also partner with email and instant messaging providers to help their users identify which of their contacts are Facebook users, so that we can promote Facebook to those users.

 

To give search engines access to publicly available information. We generally limit search engines’ access to our site. We may allow them to access information set to the “everyone” setting (along with your name and profile picture) and your profile information that is visible to everyone. You can change the visibility of some of your profile information using your privacy settings. You can also prevent search engines from indexing your profile using your search settings.

 

To help improve or promote our service. Sometimes we share aggregated information with third parties to help improve or promote our service. But we only do so in such a way that no individual user can be identified or linked to any specific action or information.

 

To respond to legal requests and prevent harm. We may disclose information pursuant to subpoenas, court orders, or other requests (including criminal and civil matters) if we have a good faith belief that the response is required by law. This may include respecting requests from jurisdictions outside of the United States where we have a good faith belief that the response is required by law under the local laws in that jurisdiction, apply to users from that jurisdiction, and are consistent with generally accepted international standards. We may also share information when we have a good faith belief it is necessary to prevent fraud or other illegal activity, to prevent imminent bodily harm, or to protect ourselves and you from people violating our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, courts or other government entities.

 

Transfer in the Event of Sale or Change of Control. If the ownership of all or substantially all of our business changes, we may transfer your information to the new owner so that the service can continue to operate. In such a case, your information would remain subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Policy.

[Guest Myspace Facebook]

i eventually found a link that let me delete my facebook page, but it still gave me a 14 day cool-down period during which i could return to it if i changed my mind.
the scary thing is that even if you want to keep it low-key, you end up getting loads of friend requests that tell them exactly who your social circle is.

WHO R THEY? Who knows. All I know is facebook's still a good place to score doggesses
You know its true

[Guest Jimmy D]

I read their terms of service, and I honestly got to say; you signed on.

 

It's like any other contract; you don't read it? It aint their fault.

 

I don't often agree with you Human, but when you're right you're right: Facebook doesn't force you to give any information; it's an opt in service.

 

On the other hand, have you ever completely read, say, a credit card contract? 10,000 words all in extremely fine print. Most all of it is legalese BS, difficult to understand (for me) and I scored pretty well on the LSAT.

[Guest LAW]

U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Edward Markey, D-Mass., co-chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, have asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to respond to questions about the privacy breaches reported by The Wall Street Journal Monday.

 

 

“According to the article, this series of privacy breaches affected “tens of millions” of users, even those who adjusted their privacy settings to the strictest settings possible,” the lawmakers wrote. “Given the number of current users, the rate at which that number grows worldwide, and the age range of Facebook users, combined with the amount and the nature of information these users place in Facebook’s trust, this series of breaches of consumer privacy is a cause for concern.”

 

 

Barton, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Markey, chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, asked Zuckerberg to respond to the following questions:

 

 

1. How many users were impacted by the series of privacy breaches discovered by The Wall Street Journal?

 

2. What was the specific nature of the information transmitted from the third party application to other parties?

 

3. When did Facebook become aware of this series of privacy breaches?

 

4. Did you notify your users of this series of breaches, including the specific nature of the information shared without their consent? If not, why not?

 

5. What terms contained in your privacy policy were violated by this series of privacy breaches?

 

6. How many third party applications were involved in this series of privacy breaches?

 

7. What procedures do you have in place to detect and/or prevent third party applications that may breach the terms of Facebook’s privacy policy?

 

8. Have there been similar privacy breaches by third party applications in the past? If so, please describe the nature of those breaches. Please also describe any measures you may have put in place following the discovery of any such breaches to guard against future breaches and to better protect consumer privacy.

 

9. What guidelines does Facebook have in place for third party applications to protect its users from advertent or inadvertent privacy breaches?

 

10. Please identify the officials or offices within Facebook who are responsible for ensuring that third party applications satisfy Facebook’s terms and conditions. What is Facebook’s procedure for reviewing third party applications to ensure they satisfy Facebook’s terms and conditions?

 

11. Please provide copies of any agreements between Facebook and its third party application developers.

 

12. Does Facebook receive any remuneration, financial or otherwise, as a result of the sharing of information between third party applications and internet tracking or advertising companies? If so, please disclose the nature and amount of the remuneration paid to Facebook.

 

13. For each application, please provide a copy of the terms and conditions or notice that was presented to the user before using the application. If multiple versions have been used, please provide all versions and note their dates of use. Please also identify any specific terms violated in this series of breaches.

 

14. Will Facebook seek the deletion of its users’ personal information from data bases of the internet or advertising companies who received it as a result of this series of privacy breaches? If yes, when? If not, why not?

 

15. To what extent has Facebook determined that data relating to minors 17 years of age and under were breached?

 

16. To what extent has Facebook determined that personal financial or medical data were breached?

 

17. Please describe any policy or procedure changes Facebook plans to adopt to ensure that users have better control over how their information is shared and with whom their information is shared when using third party applications.

 

18. Please describe any changes Facebook plans to adopt in the terms and conditions or notices presented to users before using third party applications.

[Guest I. P. Freely]

Think Like Google – How arrogant.

 

We are Free Individuals.

 

Twitter and Facebook are taking over the playing field.

 

Google still has YouTube and Google Maps.

 

But, other social networks are beginning to rise.

 

So they are becoming an application.

 

While Yahoo and Microsoft are trying to become the network.

 

Apple has both the traffic and the hardware.

 

Will they team up with Rival Networks or Embrace Google Android.

 

Google, Apple, and Microsoft are aware.

 

A patent lasts only so long.

 

The one who ones the machinery is the one at the top.

[Guest human]

LOL no. In any case, I for one don't go on face book, twitter, or any other social sites except this one.

 

Been there, done that "No Way Again". Even though I am not on them I do have the stats on the behavioral patterns of people on them.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't often agree with you Human, but when you're right you're right: Facebook doesn't force you to give any information; it's an opt in service.

 

On the other hand, have you ever completely read, say, a credit card contract? 10,000 words all in extremely fine print. Most all of it is legalese BS, difficult to understand (for me) and I scored pretty well on the LSAT.