Technology

Is your boss spying on your via Facebook?

by mtippett | November 19, 2007 at 12:53 pm | 862 views | 7 comments | 5 recommendations

It's hard to believe that this is true but Valleywag usually gets this stuff right:

Last month we told you that Facebook employees can see your profile even if it is private. Now we hear that they are willing to share your private profile with your boss. All he has to do is ask. A poster on the AR-15 Forums, a firearms-enthusiast website, says her bosses asked Facebook for permission to see her profile -- which is normally set to private for everyone but her friends -- through something called Administrators Access.

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liamssoft

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:27 on November 19th, 2007

mtippett, nowadays the Internet is used as a spying device. If it’s not Trojans, mailware or spyware, its personal information that can be easily obtained. Server logs for email and history are also stored on computers for life and erasure does not stop information being retrieved. Good stuff for highlighting.

Rob Walker

at 13:35 on November 19th, 2007

It's just going to get worse when facebook opens itself up to google searches.

If you wanted to see my facebook Mike, you just had to ask! Heh.

I think the real lesson here is: if it's online, assume anyone can see it.

MikeT

at 13:48 on November 19th, 2007

I agree. My view is that when posting something to FB assume you are speaking to a crowded room.

Rob Peters

at 13:53 on November 19th, 2007

Yep. Facebook is a grand opportunity to judge and be judged.

Christopher Byrne

at 17:27 on November 19th, 2007

kind of like NowPublic?;-)

mtippett

at 17:36 on November 19th, 2007

The difference is that NP is a place designed for free expression. People want others to know their views. With Facebook the implication is that your conversations are more like IM or email and not for public consumption.

Christopher Byrne

at 19:43 on November 19th, 2007

No, what I am saying is that you will judge and be judged on any social networking web site...but anybody who views Facebook as a "private" medium should not even be on there.