Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 7, 2008 7:23:42 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Facebook Ad Plans Raise Privacy Issues

Posted Nov 7, 07 12:49 PM CST in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – As the advertising industry prepares to harness the personal data of 50 million Facebook users, new privacy concerns are whipping through cyberspace. Valleywag reveals that Facebook employees not only have access to users' profiles and inboxes, but can alter them. And they do—frequently enough that management had to tell developers to "knock it off."

Whether in jest or malice, back-end fooling around with Facebook is raising privacy concerns, and the fallout could be substantial. Users submit their private data out of trust, and losing that trust means losing the material so valuable to marketers. A Facebook spokesman noted that access to the tools in question is "restricted," but did not deny any of the privacy-related claims.

Source Valleywag

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • When Is A Facebook Friend Just A Friend?

    Jun 27, 08 8:12 AM CDT
    When Is A Facebook Friend Just A Friend? There’s a movement among some social Web services, from MySpace and Yahoo to Plaxo, to let users share data, the MIT Technology Review reports. Take Google’s new Friend Connect, a service that lets users transport profiles and connections among sites. But Facebook, for one, is swimming against the tide, working to control its users’ data and arguing that control protects their privacy. More »

  • Smart Billboards: They're Watching You

    May 31, 08 7:18 AM CDT
    Advertisers are bringing billboards into the 21st century by fitting them with cameras that record details used to determine a passer-by's age, sex, and race, the New York Times reports. Companies plan to use the technology to tailor the advertising to the person standing in front of it. The tiny cameras, which send info back to a central database, are hard for passers-by to spot. More »

  • Cell Phone Ads Slowed by Privacy Worries

    Jan 1, 08 7:50 PM CST
    Cell Phone Ads Slowed by Privacy Worries With the mobile Internet and GPS location-based services expanding, marketers and mobile phone companies are anxious to tap into a new level of targeted advertising. But, the AP reports, carriers are proceeding with caution in implementing the ads because they don’t want the perception of a privacy invasion to spook customers. More »

  • Microsoft Launches Cell Phone Ad Sales

    Dec 10, 07 2:21 PM CST
    Microsoft Launches Cell Phone Ad Sales Microsoft launched cell phone advertising in the US Monday, with banner ads displayed on MSN Mobile, a portal accessible from any mobile phone. The ads will be displayed as graphics or text, depending on the user's phone, reports AP. Competitors Yahoo, Google, and numerous smaller companies already sell mobile advertising, as does Microsoft in Japan and parts of Europe. More »

  • $$$ Thrown at Buzz Drive Facebook's Beacon Plans

    Nov 30, 07 11:42 AM CST
    $$$ Thrown at Buzz Drive Facebook's Beacon Plans Facebook's efforts to fix its Beacon system show that talk isn't cheap, as marketers increasingly are finding it’s a great way to spread the word about their product. Word-of-mouth advertising has taken off, with nearly $981 million being spent on campaigns last year, a 36% increase from 2005, reports Ars Technica. Companies are now integrating WoM into every campaign. More »

Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press after he announced Facebook's new product for advertising partners in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. The online hangout said Tuesday it plans...   (Associated Press)
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. The online hangout said Tuesday it plans to let companies...   (Associated Press)
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. The online hangout said Tuesday it plans to let companies...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

Facebook  • advertising  • privacy  • targeted advertising


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »