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Facebook Fights Anti-Privacy Charges

Battle with MoveOn hinges on the meaning of 'private'

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 21, 2007 11:45 AM CST

(Newser) – Facebook jumped to the defense of its new social advertising program yesterday, under attack by a MoveOn campaign. MoveOn calls the program a “massive privacy breach,” but Facebook says that misrepresents Beacon, which does not make information "public." "Information is shared with a small selection of a user's trusted network of friends, not publicly on the Web or with all Facebook users," the company said.

MoveOn was unimpressed. "If Facebook's argument is that sharing private information with hundreds or thousands of someone's closest 'friends' is not the same as making that information 'public,' that shows how weak Facebook's argument is," a spokesman said. The Beacon application publishes stories to users’ newsfeed when they buy a product on an external site, potentially revealing whole Christmas lists, CNET explains.

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 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)

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Facebook Fights Anti-Privacy Charges

Battle with MoveOn hinges on the meaning of 'private'

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If their friends buy recommended products, they get a commission

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MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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Facebook Backs Off Beacon

Switches ad platform to 'opt-in' format after users decry involuntary 'sharing'

Facebook Ready to Cash in On Your Data

Facebook ads mining user data like never before

Facebook to Users: Sell Stuff, Get Paid

If their friends buy recommended products, they get a commission

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

But it's proving difficult to get right on social networking sites

Google Looking to Buy Yahoo

Google wants more users for Google+, more advertising markets

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Newser By Users

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