Comments on: Mixed Feelings about Latest Facebook Privacy Fiasco http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/ Keeping politicians' hands off the Net & everything else related to technology Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:14:50 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: plummers_crack http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/comment-page-1/#comment-65892 plummers_crack Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:13:36 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=16803#comment-65892 I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like <a href="http://www.anonboard.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.anonboard.com</a> I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like http://www.anonboard.com

]]> By: plummers_crack http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/comment-page-1/#comment-61903 plummers_crack Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:13:36 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=16803#comment-61903 I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like <a href="http://www.anonboard.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.anonboard.com</a> I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like http://www.anonboard.com

]]> By: plummers_crack http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/comment-page-1/#comment-58295 plummers_crack Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:13:36 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=16803#comment-58295 I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like <a href="http://www.anonboard.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.anonboard.com</a> I just can't believe they went back on their TOS change. People are dumb if they think they are getting any privacy from Facebook or Myspace. All they are doing is voluntarily supplying valuable info to huge marketing mills. Although there are ways to communicate with privacy: anonymous sites like http://www.anonboard.com

]]> By: TPW 42: The Flare-Up over Facebook’s New Privacy Policies | The Technology Liberation Front http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/comment-page-1/#comment-58257 TPW 42: The Flare-Up over Facebook’s New Privacy Policies | The Technology Liberation Front Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:51:50 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=16803#comment-58257 [...] On this episode “Tech Policy Weekly,” Technology Liberation Front contributors Ryan Radia and Berin Szoka join me for a discussion of the flare-up over Facebook’s recent changes to their terms of service agreement and whether there are any serious privacy issues in play here or if this is all much ado about nothing. [Ryan blogged about it here, and I did here.] [...] [...] On this episode “Tech Policy Weekly,” Technology Liberation Front contributors Ryan Radia and Berin Szoka join me for a discussion of the flare-up over Facebook’s recent changes to their terms of service agreement and whether there are any serious privacy issues in play here or if this is all much ado about nothing. [Ryan blogged about it here, and I did here.] [...]

]]> By: DB http://techliberation.com/2009/02/18/mixed-feelings-about-latest-facebook-privacy-fiasco/comment-page-1/#comment-58246 DB Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:46:18 +0000 http://techliberation.com/?p=16803#comment-58246 Adam--What is a "contract of sorts?" Is it legally binding or not?<br><br>It's fine that you "would never rule out legal action against companies that play games with their privacy policies," but what would be the point of such a lawsuit? It would be exceedingly difficult to demonstrate actual financial damages (you and Berin astutely noted that there is no clearly defined harm). Therefore, how could a court possibly enter a judgment against the company? If the privacy policy carries no legal weight, why can't a company play fast and loose with its policies?<br><br>See for instance Pinero v. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service <br><br>and <br><br>In re JetBlue Airways Corp. Privacy Litigation, 79 F. Supp. 2d 299 (E.D.N.Y. August 1, 2005) Adam–What is a “contract of sorts?” Is it legally binding or not?

It's fine that you “would never rule out legal action against companies that play games with their privacy policies,” but what would be the point of such a lawsuit? It would be exceedingly difficult to demonstrate actual financial damages (you and Berin astutely noted that there is no clearly defined harm). Therefore, how could a court possibly enter a judgment against the company? If the privacy policy carries no legal weight, why can't a company play fast and loose with its policies?

See for instance Pinero v. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

and

In re JetBlue Airways Corp. Privacy Litigation, 79 F. Supp. 2d 299 (E.D.N.Y. August 1, 2005)

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