Comments on: More On the “Anonymity” of the Facebook Dataset – It’s Harvard College (Updated) http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/ information ethics : privacy : new media : values in design : 2.0 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:56:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Zimmer http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/comment-page-1/#comment-156365 Michael Zimmer Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:50:13 +0000 http://michaelzimmer.org/?p=864#comment-156365 Adam: You're right; they are going to great (but insufficient) lengths to anonymize data that they later (incorrectly) claim isn't private in the first place. Faulty logic. However, to be clear, Facebook isn't make any such claims. It is a group of (well-intentioned) researchers from Harvard and UCLA. Adam: You’re right; they are going to great (but insufficient) lengths to anonymize data that they later (incorrectly) claim isn’t private in the first place. Faulty logic.

However, to be clear, Facebook isn’t make any such claims. It is a group of (well-intentioned) researchers from Harvard and UCLA.

]]> By: Adam http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/comment-page-1/#comment-156358 Adam Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:51:24 +0000 http://michaelzimmer.org/?p=864#comment-156358 Hi Michael, I think Facebook is being disingenuous about the privacy issues, and have posted some comments at http://www.emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/10/facebook_twofaced_over_da.html Hi Michael,

I think Facebook is being disingenuous about the privacy issues, and have posted some comments at http://www.emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/10/facebook_twofaced_over_da.html

]]> By: Kent http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/comment-page-1/#comment-156340 Kent Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:01:04 +0000 http://michaelzimmer.org/?p=864#comment-156340 Very interesting. And it comes on the heals of the massive security breach: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.docommand=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9116138 It makes me re-think my facebook settings, and I have the information handed out at One Web Day (which I hope will be an annual event). In terms of surveillance, "intelligence gathering", "market research", etc. I have to mention the movies. It seems the more bizarre and far-fetched a movie idea is, the more likely it is either true now, or will become true in the future. Consider the following movies: Blue Thunder (1983) - a super stealthy helicopter fights evil. All of the functions were available and either in use or being tested at thetime of the movie - 25 years ago; Conspiracy Theory (1997), where the suspect is tracked through his credit card use. (I mention this movie because ti was the first I had heard of that - now, it is a weekly thing in many different TV shows - as is the tracking of cell phones); Enemy of the State (1998), where the suspect is tracked through many different technologies and the entire Jason Bourne series, where he is tracked many different ways. The list is much longer, but the point is, is that we, as a nation are, to many degrees, living the Big Brother of Orwell's 1984. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but having been in the military, my prints are on file with the US government and I probably have an FBI file, especially because we took the tour in the 1960's! I have tried to tell my kids that Facebook information is not as secure as they think, and this would seem to bear that out. Thanks for a great blog! Very interesting. And it comes on the heals of the massive security breach:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.docommand=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9116138

It makes me re-think my facebook settings, and I have the information handed out at One Web Day (which I hope will be an annual event).

In terms of surveillance, “intelligence gathering”, “market research”, etc. I have to mention the movies.
It seems the more bizarre and far-fetched a movie idea is, the more likely it is either true now, or will become true in the future.

Consider the following movies:
Blue Thunder (1983) – a super stealthy helicopter fights evil. All of the functions were available and either in use or being tested at thetime of the movie – 25 years ago; Conspiracy Theory (1997), where the suspect is tracked through his credit card use. (I mention this movie because ti was the first I had heard of that – now, it is a weekly thing in many different TV shows – as is the tracking of cell phones); Enemy of the State (1998), where the suspect is tracked through many different technologies and the entire Jason Bourne series, where he is tracked many different ways. The list is much longer, but the point is, is that we, as a nation are, to many degrees, living the Big Brother of Orwell’s 1984.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but having been in the military, my prints are on file with the US government and I probably have an FBI file, especially because we took the tour in the 1960′s!

I have tried to tell my kids that Facebook information is not as secure as they think, and this would seem to bear that out. Thanks for a great blog!

]]> By: Michael Zimmer http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/comment-page-1/#comment-156314 Michael Zimmer Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:50:58 +0000 http://michaelzimmer.org/?p=864#comment-156314 Yes, they want -- and likely are required by Harvard's IRB -- to keep the source institution anonymous. Nearly every publication about the research, both <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/4682" rel="nofollow">now</a> and <a href="http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article.aspx?ref=521416" rel="nofollow">in</a> the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/style/17facebook.html" rel="nofollow">past</a>, note it as a variation of "an anonymous northeastern college". From a research ethics standpoint, keeping this piece of information is vital to protecting the privacy of the subject. As such, this is a meaningful breach. Yes, they want — and likely are required by Harvard’s IRB — to keep the source institution anonymous. Nearly every publication about the research, both now and in the past, note it as a variation of “an anonymous northeastern college”. From a research ethics standpoint, keeping this piece of information is vital to protecting the privacy of the subject. As such, this is a meaningful breach.

]]> By: Bertil http://michaelzimmer.org/2008/10/03/more-on-the-anonymity-of-the-facebook-dataset-its-harvard-college/comment-page-1/#comment-156302 Bertil Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:09:25 +0000 http://michaelzimmer.org/?p=864#comment-156302 Did they really want to preserve the institution anonymous? I believe a majority of students can be easily tracked at individual level (and this is a concern), but your argument focuses on what appears to me as a unimportant breach. Did they really want to preserve the institution anonymous? I believe a majority of students can be easily tracked at individual level (and this is a concern), but your argument focuses on what appears to me as a unimportant breach.

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