Facebook threatened by German consumer group over App Center privacy info
Summary: The group says it will take the social network to court if it does not, by 4 September, make users explicitly consent to signing away their data before they download Facebook apps.
Facebook faces yet more privacy woes in Germany, after a consumer rights group threatened to take it to court over its recently launched App Center.
The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV) has already inflicted body blows on the social network over the terms of its Friend Finder service, and now it is promising to return to the fray if Facebook doesn't make the privacy implications of its apps more apparent to users.
As with most apps, Facebook's can suck in various types of user information, from contact details and gender to chat access and lists of friends.
The problem, according to the consumer protection group, is in the "non-exhaustive" information that the App Center shows in small grey writing before the user chooses to click "play game", "send to mobile" or "visit website".
The VZBV said on Monday (statement in German) that Facebook was breaking European data protection law by not explicitly inviting the user to give their consent.
The group said it has warned Facebook that it will launch a court case if the social network does not correct this situation by 4 September.
Facebook told ZDNet on Tuesday that it was looking into the matter, but did not have a full response just yet.
Germany tends to give companies such as Facebook and Google a hard time, as the country's data protection regulators adopt a relatively strict interpretation of European law.
Earlier this month, Hamburg's privacy czar Johannes Caspar reopened a probe into Facebook's facial recognition technology. In March, a Berlin court ordered Facebook to stop putting users' photos into the ads it runs on its site without explicit permission.
Meanwhile, privacy complaints from German citizens have forced both Google and Microsoft to stop photographing street scenery for their mapping products.
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Talkback
Is FB really the issuce?
what's facebook's trip
Uhm... Mike (Farmer)?
1: Germany is consistently rated one of the best countries to live and raise a family and be educated. Just an FYI. The German government protects its people to the degree that not even the evil empire known as Wal-Mart is allowed to abuse its employees there.
Believe it or not, they did learn a lot from WWII and the Nazi regime. There are fiercely protective of their people. And they have a right to be concerned because...
2: FaceBook was with money from investments by a CIA-run technologies firm that invests in private sector companies with government money. Companies range from weaponry and aeronautics to the more mundane web functions like social networking. Whether or not you believe the whole 'Facebook/CIA conspiracy', the only reason FB is around is because of the government.
2a: FaceBook took data mining (spying, tracking, and reporting functions) technologies pioneered by Microsoft (look up 'Alexa') took them to the next level. Where once you had simple page use being tracked statistically, sites like FB opened up a whole new can of worms where cookies started logging site use times, preferences, so on and so forth. That info was sold by FB to companies to target you with marketing, and still is.
They make money off of you, even if you don't spend a dime.... Also, their biorecognition photo software also searches for you on other sites like Photobucket or LinkedIn or .... whatever else you use that has your photo(s). Once they make a positive ID, I'm betting money that they approach those companies with an offer to sell your info to them.
2b (or not 2b): Companies not only use the information they purchase about you from TheFaceBook (sorry, FB) to better market things to you, but they also resell it to companies who do the same, aaaannnndddd they also now post as you. Ever see a "Your Friend likes" and then an add for Taco Bell or something similar? That's because you clicked 'like' and FaceBook decided that you didn't have control over what Taco Bell did with their advertisments, so now Taco Bell is posting as you and encouraging people to try their newest burrito (which isn't actually Mexican food btw).
The biggest impact of this (other than on the weak minded) is on kids.
2c: Until I believe it was sometime early this year (would have to check an essay I wrote on the dangers of FB) FB's TOS listed that everything you did or said or uploaded on/to FaceBook became their property. You're an artist? Tough luck. Your uploaded artwork (and the original of the pieces) belong to them. Your pictures? Zuckerberg's property.
This allowed them to take control over your posts and use your own words to target marketing focus to you. FB, it should be noted, has also supported the SOPA/IPPA/CISPA bills as well. . . . so who knows what else they're doing with your info.
3d (because I had to): China announced just before FB started selling shares on the stock market that they were interested in buying as many shares as possible. Share holders have certain rights, the higher amount of stock someone controls equates to how effectively they can change business practices.
China doesn't like the US. Despite most of our (greedy) manufacturing being shipped there (due to 3rd world conditions and non-existent human rights laws protecting the Chinese workers), China has repeatedly stated it would collapse our economy if possible. Add to that the fact that most counterfeit items sold in the US come from China, now give them access to American demographics, even just in purchasing power.
Now do the math....
@Mike Menace, "As big and as rich as fb is one would think they would draw a line somewhere not push the boundaries of what is legal. fb should protect the people who line their pockets and make fb a good experience instead ofweasel and squirm their way deep into people's privacy."
....Uhm, ever hear of a company called Microsoft? Go read the changes to their EULAs since XP.
You'll see that not only do you basically pay to borrow Windows and any Microsoft product, but also that Microsoft reserves the right to go into your computer and make changes without notice or warning.
Iosax.... dude, that is one of the derpiest statements I've ever heard. Maybe 20 years ago not using your name online didn't matter. Then again, your ISP can tell a law enforcement agency, marketing company, or any other user the town/state you're in, as well as your ISP. (It's called a DNS backtrace.) There are ways around it, but unless you're using them....
You use IM? Chat online, whether by an IM or game? You go to your favorite websites? Purchase stuff online? E-mail people?
You're info is out there....
Sorry, that should say....
Long post done over several hours due to life. Sorry for the proof read botch.
the internet is a dangerous place
..
Uh, Yes actually
So yes, I think it's crazy to immortalize everything I ever say with my name on it.
Ze Germans
..
"Both computer ownership and Internet access are more widespread in German households than in European households on average"
"In 2011, 77% of the households in Germany has internet access, the majority of which (93 %) had a fast internet access (broadband connection)"
https://www.destatis.de/DE/PresseService/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2011/12/PD11_474_63931.html
..
still waiting for your fact link
I like the sounds of that, considering I have
wow Fauler Zack
@fire 115
@Fauler Zack
...