Likes UP: Privacy Online–Does it Exist?

Court makes it official: You have no privacy online Excerpts

“Online services like Twitter and Facebook spend a lot of time on their privacy policies, and Facebook in particular has spent the past couple of years tweaking its settings, trying to find a balance between convincing users to share information and allowing them to keep some private.”

”Users of social networks and most online services have virtually no expectation of privacy whatsoever — at least, not if the entity trying to get access to their personal information happens to be the U.S. Justice Department.”

“Personal info released without the need for a warrant on legal case…  the government didn’t even have to file for a traditional warrant to get access to the personal data ….— it used a special order called a 2703(d), and its attempt to get that information might never have even come to light if Twitter hadn’t fought the order and won the right to alert the defendants. (this is from Jan 2011 – DOJ subpoenas Twitter records of several WikiLeaks volunteers)

“Petitioners knew or should have known that their IP information was subject to examination by Twitter, so they had a lessened expectation of privacy in that information, particularly in light of their apparent consent to the Twitter terms of service and privacy policy.”

Facebook Social Network Nears Settlement on Charges It Misled Users About Their Data.

full story
Facebook, FTC Near Privacy Statement  

“Facebook Inc. is close to a settlement with the U.S. government over charges that it misled users about its use of their personal information, the latest sign of widening public concern over privacy in the digital age.” via Wall Street Journal

User Beware #likesup