In today’s high-tech world, personal privacy is increasingly becoming a premium. Just a few years ago, everyone had 1-2 email addresses (personal and work). Now each individual appears to have at least a handful of email addresses, a website, a blog or two – and a profile on the popular Facebook.
Since Facebook is a free service to its users, it makes money through advertisements and marketing companies, including Beacon. Facebook would pull user information, including what other websites you surfed. Recently, Facebook acknowledged this violated privacy laws, including the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act, among other laws. In an effort to settle a class-action lawsuit in California, Facebook discontinued using Beacon and offered to donate $9.5 million to start a non-profit committed to promoting user privacy.
Although this is a win for privacy – it is just a beginning. Whenever you consent to using a Facebook application (taking a quiz, receiving a rose, etc.), you are allowing Facebook and its affiliates to access everything you have posted onto Facebook (photos, contact information, etc.). As it stands now, there is no way around consenting before using an application.
A number of web-based services offer privacy securitiy services, including a host of services offering parental control to protect the identity of their web-surfing children.
