[LINK] Networking site cashes in on friends

[Roger Clarke]

At 10:27 +1100 2/2/09, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>Networking site cashes in on friends
>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/4413483/Networking-site-cashes-in-on-friends.html

Here are the caustic comments I made after posting the shorter SMH 
version to the privacy list this morning:

Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2009 08:03:15 +1100
To: privacy at lists.efa.org.au

[1.  The Davos gab-fest, if it ever contributed much, has passed its 
use-by date.  Not only do utterly discredited financial services 
industry people continue to get taken seriously, but the event finds 
time for trivia like this.

[2.  The key questions are:
-   informed, freely-given consent.  This wasn't a use contemplated 
when people joined and put up the peculiar mix of personal and 
fantasy data that make up Facebook profiles.  Opt-out isn't 
acceptable;  consent means opt-in;
-   minimum-disclosure.  In particular, there's no need for the 
market research organisation to know the identities of the 
participants, only the relevant aspects of their profiles.  (Granted: 
some form of audit is needed, to prevent Facebook cheating their 
cash-paying clients the way they cheat their non-paying 'members').

[3.  If the company satisfies those criteria, and can demonstrate 
that it can manage sensitive data carefully, it should be welcome to 
make such offers to 'members' and businesses alike.

[4.  Regrettably, they've failed to do so to date, and don't appear 
to be learning anything.


-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW