FTC says "yes" to Facebook activity inclusion in background checks

FTC says "yes" to Facebook activity inclusion in background checks

www.zdnet.com

You now have another reason to check your privacy settings. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Social Intelligence Corp, has been given the legal thumbs up to archive seven years worth of your Facebook posts. These archives will be used by SIC (oh the applicability of the acronym) as part of their background checking service for job applicants.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Ladies and Gents... It's time to pick up and drag off of Facebook. Maybe if we do, Facebook itself might raise a stink. But alas, I'm sure, just like everything else... No one will hear us scream!

It's gotten to the point to where I dont want to use any internet "toys" anymore. Everything is an invasion of my privacy. How is it alowed for someone to get access to my information when only my closest friends and family are the only ones to have access to my wall? If I deny eveyone else, why cant it be true to anyone wanting to do a background check on me??? If the internet is as public as they claim, even when you set up walls around your own information, why is it diffrent for banks and firms who use the internet? Why arnt we alowed to pull whatever information we like from them when they can do it to us, no matter what kind of walls we build around our own personal information...

.... Because nothing is private on the internet. Facebook is a public place, not a secure sight. Oh yeah?? Try hacking the site for passwords and other's information and get caught! Whats good for the goose is good for the lameasses who push this stuff down on top of us on a daily basis!

I'm Furious!

www.zdnet.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This really shouldn't surprise anyone though. I expect the majority of the replies to the OP will be up in arms about this, but this has been going on for quite some time now, it is just now "out in the open" and covered legally.

For the past few years at least, potential employers in particular but also schools and many other people, look at facebook and other social networking sites in regards to applicants and background checks. Face it... it is the internet, it is public domain, there is no privacy.

bottom line is disinformation and misinformation work on both sides of the fence

they only know what you tell them

blend in and surf the crowd


edit: the key to it is really don't do nothing online that you wouldnt do offline, or would not be prepared to be liable for

Originally posted by AnotherYOU
they only know what you tell them

Exactly.

Non-event.

Random question.. what about things you post that you later delete? So just say, for example you post like.. "the banks are scum.." and later delete it.. then for some reason you later apply at a bank. Will they be able to see that?

I can see a big flaw in all of this if a government was to try and use Facebook logs in court.

Once a precedence was set ... a criminal has only to get a friend to take their i-pad/laptop to a place with a fixed wireless IP (say a MacDonalds) and post/play games/chat using the criminals account.

At the same time the criminal goes off and commits "blue murder" and has a perfect alibi.

reply to post by ReadyPower


Are you applying at the bank as ReadyPower?

reply to post by theRhenn


Well good thing I post a bunch of useless crap that NOBODY cares about. Potential employers will think I'm the most boring person alive.
"My son ate a ham sandwich today."
"It sure is hot out."
"Yeah! Finally some free time."
"I dyed my hair brown."
And it goes on and on and on.

Joking aside, this is pretty ridiculous. For some people, facebook is an outlet. A blog. One of my friends refers to it as her mini therapy sessions. She can get out what she needs to and then gets insight from others. I'm pretty private about mine, but others aren't. Eventhough facebook isn't necessarily "private", it is something do with THEIR time. It shouldn't have anything to do with background checks.
Are you going to judge me because I have a picture of myself flipping the camera off?
Don't throw stones in a glass house.

reply to post by ReadyPower


of course, instead of logging once, it will log twice

user x posted y at z from ip abc

uzer x deleted y at z from ip abc

reply to post by PassedKarma


as i see it its much like echelon, where the software monitors the logs for specific keywords and combinations and repetitions of same keywords.

its the opposite as ats, in here flags are good, on a monitoring software working in essentially the open database that is facebook, the more the software flags you.

more spiders on you

Exactly why I've avoided it...since when I found potential employees were to look up your name to see if you have an account. Some jobs may even monitor once and a while... Now this more confirms it.

Originally posted by PassedKarma
reply to post by theRhenn

 

Well good thing I post a bunch of useless crap that NOBODY cares about. Potential employers will think I'm the most boring person alive.
"My son ate a ham sandwich today."
"It sure is hot out."
"Yeah! Finally some free time."
"I dyed my hair brown."
And it goes on and on and on.

Joking aside, this is pretty ridiculous. For some people, facebook is an outlet. A blog. One of my friends refers to it as her mini therapy sessions. She can get out what she needs to and then gets insight from others. I'm pretty private about mine, but others aren't. Eventhough facebook isn't necessarily "private", it is something do with THEIR time. It shouldn't have anything to do with background checks.
Are you going to judge me because I have a picture of myself flipping the camera off?
Don't throw stones in a glass house.

I totaly agree. I have nothing there to hide. Nothing my own mother wouldnt want to see, anyways. But... It makes me feel almost dirty. It's like someone comming into your home and reading your refrigerator notes, or digging through your trash. The latter is legal, but it would upset someone if it happen still. It gives me the feeling that these people have the right to my own personal privacy, even though it's in a public forum, it's not public to them unless I open it up to them. It makes me feel dirty, that I have to be extra careful as not to post something that might be against my bosses religion or something. And... If I get fired for something I said, how in the world can I prove it was based on a facebook topic so that it might stand in court where what he's firing me for would be illegal? Though, you can pretty much fire anyone for anything now.

Still... Does anyone feel like big brother just got a heck of alot bigger?

And what is it with facebook in the last few weeks, just selling us out for greed sake!?!

Been happening for years, in fact I was denied a home loan based on an internet search of my name which came up with this article
www.eugeneweekly.com...

The bank declared my pace a "toxic dump" in their rejection letter and referenced this story. As for FB, Squoo dem and anyone who looks at my crap( that is all it is anyway) and squoo anyone who use the service for hiring
seed

reply to post by theRhenn


I know! Luckily I work for myself... but what if I ever got into some sort of legal trouble? I have a pretty big online presence with my business and I use facebook for a lot of my advertising. So it appears I'm on facebook "all the time" since I keep my phone logged in. What if I got into a car accident while my phone was logged in? It would be another story on the news of a woman checking her facebook while driving, causing an accident. To them, it's beyond a reasonable doubt proof. To me, it would be a simple case of my phone being logged in.
As uncomfortable as I've become about privacy online, I wish I could just jump off the grid. But I rely so heavily on it for marketing and keeping in touch with my customers.

Down here in corpus christi Texas a local judge has demanded the passwords and user names of felons on probation.kztv 10 I dont know how to put the news story on here .help ? This took place I believe last week..I think the judges name was Longoria..This is done so the court can moniter their activity..In the case of a pedophile I think I would think this not out of hand..Seems to me just another case of BIG BRO. is watching

Originally posted by OccamAssassin
Once a precedence was set ... a criminal has only to get a friend to take their i-pad/laptop to a place with a fixed wireless IP (say a MacDonalds) and post/play games/chat using the criminals account.

At the same time the criminal goes off and commits "blue murder" and has a perfect alibi.

As long as McDonalds doesn't have cameras.

Another reason I'm glad I never signed up on Facebook!

Unless you use a 15 key encryption code on your data you must always assume that what you post anywhere can be read by anyone. Once you wrap your head around this logic you can use it to your advantage
Think about it.
I forgot to mention everything is recorded anyways from phone to data:- (I'm an industry worker confirming it but this is public knowledge.) The question is not whether it can be recorded that would happen with permission or not. The question is who can use it and for what purposes. Privacy laws went out the window the day well you know the day. Evolve do not live in fear this is how you are controlled. Understand the system and use it for your advantage and the advantage of those you love.

Originally posted by AnotherYOU
edit: the key to it is really don't do nothing online that you wouldnt do offline, or would not be prepared to be liable for

edit on 20/6/11 by AnotherYOU because: (no reason given)

Bingo. I saw stuff like this coming a million miles away when I first started my FB account. I do not post anything there I wouldn't want a future potential employer to see. If anything, I try to make myself look as professional as possible, not to show off to friends, but to play any future employers who might try to search for me online. I figured they'd start doing that openly eventually, so I might as well play it to my advantage.

Inch by inch they are overtaking freedom, and people are complacent. Say No.