It is becoming increasingly apt that Facebook named their new Web tracking advertising service "Beacon." As I briefly mentioned here, Facebook now has admitted, contrary to earlier assurances, that their Beacon ad system tracks users’ off-Facebook activities even if those…
Category: Issues
Facebook Beacon Worse than Most Thought (And Still Is)
I had a hunch... Last week we welcomed Wendy Seltzer at the Yale Information Society Project, who gave a talk on "Online Privacy in Context." Most of our discussion centered on the controversy swirling around Facebook's Beacon advertising platform, where…
Read More Facebook Beacon Worse than Most Thought (And Still Is)
Dear Facebook, Google: Please Engage in Value-Conscious Design
Much of my research strives to extend my broader social, political, and ethical explorations of information and communication technologies beyond the halls of academia and into “real-world” design contexts to pragmatically engage with designers and advocate for the value-conscious design…
Read More Dear Facebook, Google: Please Engage in Value-Conscious Design
Are Anonymous Data-sets Possible?
A recent column by Christopher Soghoian on CNet predicts a decline in companies sharing "anonymized" user data with the academic research community. Along with last year's AOL data release debacle, Soghoian points to a more recent case where researchers were…
Facebook Changes Beacon to How it Should Have Been Designed in the First Place
As expected, Facebook has announced changes to their controversial Beacon advertising system where users' off-site purchasing activities can be automatically displayed in the Facebook feed. The New York Times reports these changes: Stories about actions users take on external websites…
Read More Facebook Changes Beacon to How it Should Have Been Designed in the First Place
Facebook Mulling Privacy Changes, But Will It Be Sufficient?
BusinessWeek reports that Facebook has circled the wagons and might be considered changes to their controversial new Facebook Ads platform: In the wake of mounting criticism, Facebook executives are discussing changes to a controversial advertising tool that publicizes users' Web…
Read More Facebook Mulling Privacy Changes, But Will It Be Sufficient?
Google Discloses Blogger’s IP Address (No Subpoena Required)
In more chilling news, it has been reported that Google reached a settlement with a group of Israeli council members and will voluntarily turn over the IP address of a blogger accused of slander to a court overseeing the case.…
Read More Google Discloses Blogger’s IP Address (No Subpoena Required)
Feds Sought Identities of Book Buyers; Amazon Resists
Recalling the (in)famous DOJ v Google matter, where Google resisted attempts by government to obtain thousands of user search queries, we learn today that federal prosecutors had sought the identities of thousands of people who bought used books from Amazon,…
Read More Feds Sought Identities of Book Buyers; Amazon Resists
Is Apple Collecting Personally Identifiable iPhone Usage Data?
I recently bought an iPhone (my tech-porn for the year), and it has been a pleasurable experience (notwithstanding AT&T's poor coverage in much of my apartment). But I'm troubled by a rumor that has emerged claiming that "Apple is keeping…
Read More Is Apple Collecting Personally Identifiable iPhone Usage Data?
Link Roundup on Facebook, SocialAds, and Privacy
Facebook recently announced Facebook Ads, an attempt to monetize the vast amount of user information that flows through the social networking site (something I warned about previously). Facebook Ads has three main components: Social Ads: Allows marketers to target ads…
MichaelZimmer.org 
You must be logged in to post a comment.