There have been a few rumours recently circulating about facebook. The first is that facebook will be charging, and the other is that they have started to share out personal information.
The top rumour is that they will be charging $4.99 from July for the service. This internet rumour has even spread as far as mainstream media sources such as the Telegraph. It seems the hoax started from an email sent around the site itself. Some groups have popped up to spread this story. It seems to me to be a chain. The motif behind it appears to be to link people to other sites that host malware, and on the back of this to try and sell security software. These kind of site set up to catch the unwary have been springing up in increasing number over the recent months. The site pretends to be scanning your hard drives and then reports that your computer is full of viruses, this is in an attempt to sell you their anti-virus software.
Thankfully facebook has become wise to these rumours and has closed the main groups that have been helping to spread these lies. One such group was called "300,000 member needed to stop facebook from charging £/$14.99". What a ridiculous and in-consistent name for a group anyway. First off the number should be $4.99 not $14.99 and secondly dollars are not going to be the same amount as pounds. Bloody fools. Come on do they take us for idiots. If a social network started charging they would overnight lose millions of users. If the internet has taught us anything, it is that people will not pay for something when they can get it for free elsewhere.
You can read more about the false rumours about the facebook charges here on The Register or on the Telegraph website.
The more worrying rumour is not a rumour it’s fact. Facebook's new revised privacy policy means that it can now share out your information with third party websites such as Pandora, Yelp and Microsoft Docs service. The new policy goes even further. These companies now no longer need to delete the information they hold on you after 24 hours. Users are now automatically included in this new scheme and have to actively opt out. How though do you opt out of a scheme that you’re not even aware of? It has fallen on US Senators to demand facebook change this recent change in the policy.
"Now, users have less control over private information, and it was done without the users' permission," said Senator Schumer. I can't blame them for calling for facebook to revert back to their previous policy. Since when does any Senator want it publicly know that they are a member of "International show us yer tits day" for example.
