Watch out for those apps!!
People tell The Legal Genealogist that Facebook is now where the old folks hang out.
Okay by me since, first of all, I’m a genealogist — it’s the old folks I’m most interested in; secondly, I myself have always had an “auld soul”; thirdly, some old lady has taken over my mirror and won’t ever step aside for the youthful person I am, so I’m coming to terms with living with her; and fourthly, it’s the old folks in my life that I treasure the most.
And besides — Facebook is fun. All those cool apps that tell us what animal we’d be, or what our color preferences mean, or the new one I’ve seen the past couple of days on the first photo we ever posted to Facebook.
And it’s because we all do tend to hang out on Facebook, and because those apps are fun, that today’s post has to be a public service announcement — because we all need to be a little careful at times not to simply click through on those apps without stopping to read what they tell us.
Let’s use that new one — What Was The First Photo You Uploaded to FB? Did you click on that one? If you did, this is the screen that popped up first — the screen we all tend to click right past to get to the fun stuff:
Read that again. Carefully.
If we click through on that screen, some outfit called NameGuess gets our public profile (everything we’ve said about ourselves, like our education, or marital status, or home town), our email address, our Timeline posts and our photos.
Do we really want NameGuess to have that?
Do we even know who NameGuess is, or what NameGuess will do with that information?
Do we really want to give up that much information just to see what the first photo was that we ever posted on Facebook?
I sure don’t. I’ll bet you don’t, either.
Now if we click on that “Edit the info you provide” link, we can limit what the app gets — but we need to be very very careful in giving any app access to any part of our information.
Because we don’t know who NameGuess (or any app developer) is, or what NameGuess (or any app developer) will do with that information.
So we need to carefully read the warnings before we click through on some cute app from some outfit we don’t know.
Oh, and that other new one, the one from Facebook itself on “Your Year In Review”? That one’s just fine — go right ahead and click through to your heart’s content. You’re not giving up anything you haven’t already given up. So have fun.
After all, that’s what Facebook is for — not handing over tons of personal info to some app developer who doesn’t tell us what it’s going to do with it.
NOTE: Feel free to repost, republish and share this blog post as widely as possible — no additional permissions required!
Good job for explaining that so clearly. The first time I click through to one of those apps I was horrified at the things that they wanted. The app was cute and the posts were fun, but GEEZO, that was a lot of data automatically.
You can, and I have, edited the information I provide to just include what I already make public. Occasionally the app won’t work because I limited it. Then I figure, oh well, and move on.
When I hear about people afraid for their privacy vis-a-vis the government and see how many click “ok” to all terms and agreements and things like this – I have to wonder 😀
I truly believe most of us blithely hand over more personal information to individuals, groups and corporations about whom we don’t have a single clue (who they are, what they do, what they’re going to do with the info) than the government could ever get in a million years — just by clicking through without thinking. Sigh…
Judy. That is exactly why I don’t participate in those fun things. Any time some app wants access to my friends list and profile etc., I always say no. I wish others would be as careful because I’m one of the people on their “friends” list. I plan to repost your article for others to read.
Merry Christmas to you.
Good rule to follow, Diane! — and please DO share and repost this — as often and as widely as possible!
You can always remove them from your list of allowed Apps, after seeing what that first photo was 🙂
Absolutely… but I would never be sure how much of the information I said they could have they would have data-mined before I could remove them.
I guess I’m a geezer. That’s why I’m not a Facebook user AT ALL. I really don’t trust what they say about privacy to begin with.
So, how did you post here if you are not a Facebook user AT ALL? I’m Confused…
This is a blog, hosted on my website. You can click from Facebook to get here, but you can also get here from the website, or from an email subscription. So nobody has to be on Facebook to read or post here.
If you’re careful about what you disclose, there’s no reason not to be on Facebook. But everybody has a different comfort level, so your choice is the right one — for you.
Good advice! I always think all those dumb posts that ask you to name a city that doesn’t have an A or even to like a page that says I hate cancer are also traps for mining people’s information.
Thanks for the reminder!
Worked in IT for a good part of my working life. First came the Virus, then Malware and last by not least…the Rootkit. But wait, the HACKERS, these are people of all ages, some are genius who could be making big bucks in the IT field but no, they had rather wreak havoc! Then came Flash and Java …. just more headaches. Millions of bucks spent by companies, government, etc. but the bad guys keep coming and along with them … came Facebook with hundreds of apps and ads. I had almost rather take 20 lashes before the mast than login to facebook but that is where I see the photos of my great grandkids!
The ads I can deal with (hint: I never ever ever operate a computer without installing Adblock Plus). The Apps I hide or just don’t click on. But those photos… can’t do without those, can we?
Especially beware of any cute app that asks you to sign in with Facebook and gives you a perfect Facebook sign-in page! Only you are already signed in with Facebook as you clicked on the app in Facebook, AND you are giving the app your email address and password. That’s how I got hacked, so I will NEVER do that again. Facebook notified me immediately when the hacker signed in from New Jersey (not you, Judy, I am sure). I was out on my run, but Facebook and I shut down my account to throw everyone off and created a new password. All it takes is one person to “share” the cute app on Facebook to open the door. So, please be attentive and DO NOT sign in again! Some are legitimate, but most aren’t. Be sure to have Facebook notify you, when a new browser signs in. Will save you many headaches!
Ouch. Good advice, Mary!
“…some old lady has taken over my mirror …”. LOVE it! Thanks Judy, you made my day.
It’s true! Have you SEEN that crone? I mean, really, you’d think she could at least dress better…
I had a Facebook account for one week, so that I could keep up with a friend’s page where she was posting updates on her health issues. When I signed up, I used an email address that was separate from my usual address. Somehow, though, Facebook was getting into my usual email address and suggesting that I contact people in my address book. That was creepy and unsettling. Then, my usual email address (the one I did not use when signing up for Facebook) was hacked. My ISP told me that this is a frequent problem with Facebook. The person at the ISP told me how to end my Facebook account. I will never, ever, again have anything to do with Facebook or anything similar.
Horrible experience, for sure, but very much the exception, not the rule.
Adding to the “joy” of the season, be very careful posting photos of your cute children or grandchildren. Those who enjoy creating and viewing child pornography use Facebook as one of their prime sources to obtain photos. And you will never know—