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Internet Privacy Talk
The Internet allows us to share huge amounts of information with each other, but is there anything that we shouldn't be sharing?
My name is Nathan Lustig and I'm the cofounder of a digital asset management company called Entrustet. Our job is to help our clients create a plan so that they can feel safe about the data they're sharing online and I created this network to share some of what we know about internet privacy with the Brazen community. Ask us any questions you have about the information you are sharing online and we'll respond asap!
Learn more about Entrustet: https://www.entrustet.com
Network Leader: Nathan Lustig
Benjamin Paul Schuman
I've been considering deleting my Facebook account. But a thought occurred to me: Would it possibly look WORSE to have a Facebook imprint that abruptly ends at a certain date? Or would it help a candidate if all of their data is outdated? (This is all assuming that Facebook sells background checking agencies ALL of your data, even that which you made "private.")
4 weeks ago from A corrective revolt against Millennials? what will it look like?, Social Media, Web 2.0 and Internet Privacy Talk2 more
Nathan Lustig
Facebook is launching Tag Suggestions that will use facial recognition software to automatically suggest people to tag in your photos. For now, it's only for your friends and you can opt out of being searched, but I think it's only a matter of time until they open it up to more people. What do you think? http://mashable.com/2010/12/15/facebook-photo-tag-suggestions/
Monica Valentinelli:
Sounds like an easy way to prank someone or grab embarrassing photos. Facebook is a necessary evil, but they're definitely going into new things ...MoreSounds like an easy way to prank someone or grab embarrassing photos. Facebook is a necessary evil, but they're definitely going into new things with guns a-blazing.
75 weeks ago
75 weeks ago
Jesse Davis:
I bet they'll get a bunch of flack for making yet another questionable feature "opt-out." I'm mostly curious to see how well it works...
75 weeks ago
75 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
I'm curious, what's your most important digital asset? For me, it's my blog, with my digital family photos a close second. I've spent over two years writing 170+ posts and I'd be really sad if I somehow lost it. What about you?
Jim Parker:
I hope you're able to export your blog or save your photos to a redundant backup service like Dropbox. Planning ahead is important so you don't ...MoreI hope you're able to export your blog or save your photos to a redundant backup service like Dropbox. Planning ahead is important so you don't look like one of those actors in a Mozy commercial.
My music library is an important digital asset to me and that I've spent years organizing and customizing it. I'm fortunate to have ample hard drive space and iPods to save it to just in case.
76 weeks ago
My music library is an important digital asset to me and that I've spent years organizing and customizing it. I'm fortunate to have ample hard drive space and iPods to save it to just in case.
76 weeks ago
Mark W.
So now the debt collectors are using social media - Facebook to be precise as described in this article and video - http://abcn.ws/fBpqJc . Of course, the law is very much out of date here with new technology. Debt collectors are very resourceful. They're contacting friends and family of the person in debt and they're doing it by getting information from the debtor's Facebook pages and using Facebook itself. You just can't make this stuff up.
Mark W.:
I also think we agree. Sometimes words can get in the way so I'm glad you responded. One thing I learned here in this thread is I could have ...MoreI also think we agree. Sometimes words can get in the way so I'm glad you responded. One thing I learned here in this thread is I could have phrased/presented my thoughts on this news item more clearly from the start. So thanks for helping me realize that.
77 weeks ago
77 weeks ago
JRandom42:
What has helped me is to put the debt collector on speakerphone, and say, "The Attorney General and the police are having me record this ...MoreWhat has helped me is to put the debt collector on speakerphone, and say, "The Attorney General and the police are having me record this conversation as part of their investigation. Could you please repeat that last part about me getting arrested if I don't pay you immediately?" :)
77 weeks ago
77 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
A labor board just ruled that employees have the right to discuss their employers/bosses on Facebook and other social networks. The board ruled that it's illegal to restrict employees from talking to each other about their bosses and ruled that Facebook was similar to talking around the water cooler. Thoughts? http://ow.ly/372Ce
Lance Haun:
@Raquel Protected activity is protected activity regardless of where it takes place. Discussions about workplace issues have happened in ...More@Raquel Protected activity is protected activity regardless of where it takes place. Discussions about workplace issues have happened in households, restaurants, churches, bars, fraternal clubs and community centers since the first initial unionization drives in the early 20th century. Working conditions, unionization efforts and labor disputes have been well publicized in newspapers, TV and internet reports. All of that with worker protection.
So why would social media be any different? If the dispute got out via newspaper about the dispute, the worker would still be protected.
80 weeks ago
So why would social media be any different? If the dispute got out via newspaper about the dispute, the worker would still be protected.
80 weeks ago
Kim Luu:
I agree that Facebook is like the water cooler. If you talk around the water cooler and blow off with trusted friends (i.e. very controlled ...MoreI agree that Facebook is like the water cooler. If you talk around the water cooler and blow off with trusted friends (i.e. very controlled Facebook friends list), you likely won't get into trouble but your friends could always tell on you.
If you stand around the water cooler and mouth off to anyone who is there and they go to your boss about it, it's a valid complaint against you. One Facebook firing was based on the employee having the boss as a Facebook friend and denigrated him and the company publicly. That's like my employee coming to me and say I hate working here and for you. I saw the Facebook comments she did, it was inappropriate no matter where it was said. The employer was completely justified to fire her to protect their customers.
79 weeks ago
If you stand around the water cooler and mouth off to anyone who is there and they go to your boss about it, it's a valid complaint against you. One Facebook firing was based on the employee having the boss as a Facebook friend and denigrated him and the company publicly. That's like my employee coming to me and say I hate working here and for you. I saw the Facebook comments she did, it was inappropriate no matter where it was said. The employer was completely justified to fire her to protect their customers.
79 weeks ago
Mark W.
There's a very good article on something named 'scraping'. Software is used to compile data and identify individuals by the data they have posted all over the Internet (deep web) or to track brands. Mainly used by marketing companies. The legalities of it all fall into the gray area as the information is public. However there was a recent case where an account was opened on a mental health discussion board and info was scraped to identify an individual. The article is at http://bit.ly/d77vy0 .
Nathan Lustig:
They talk about reputation defender in the article, which is one of my favorite companies right now. They help you learn about what private info ...MoreThey talk about reputation defender in the article, which is one of my favorite companies right now. They help you learn about what private info you are sharing and then help you take steps to reduce anything you don't want shared. They are going to do extremely well over the next few years.
81 weeks ago
81 weeks ago
Mark W.:
Reputation Defender does its share of advertising. Their business model reminds me of a credit reporting agency. I don't know their competition ...MoreReputation Defender does its share of advertising. Their business model reminds me of a credit reporting agency. I don't know their competition but I think businesses in their area of expertise will do well as a whole. People will not want to spend inordinate amounts of time on the Internet trying to "clean up" their reputation and they'll want to get a heads up on potentially damaging content ASAP, IMO. As you say Nathan, it's about reducing unflattering content and trying to keep negative stuff to a dull roar. :)
80 weeks ago
80 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
A NY judge just ruled that you have no expectation of privacy on social networking sites like facebook, even if you enable privacy settings. A woman who had been injured on the job was suing and the defendants wanted to see if she had posted pictures of her doing activities she claimed she couldn't do because of the injury. The judge ruled that the defendant could get access to her private FB posts. Do you think this is a good idea? Are FB pictures that you set as "only friends" public?
Bud Wiser:
put pictures up online and u should expect anyone to see them. If you want them private why put them online in the first place. DERRRRRR!!!!!!!!
81 weeks ago
81 weeks ago
Mark W.:
Good article. I think as we hear more about privacy and court decisions in various types of cases, we will become more learned as to what to ...MoreGood article. I think as we hear more about privacy and court decisions in various types of cases, we will become more learned as to what to expect when sharing digital content. In other words, the law is still very gray in these types of matters and is behind the times. All this digital content posted by yourself may come back to you in an unfavorable light or used against you in some manner. It promotes responsibility but also gives me pause. And what about that material posted to the Internet about you that you didn't post yourself?
80 weeks ago
80 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
If you work out of unsecured wireless hotspots, check this out: Anyone can install a firefox extension that sniffs for cookies from all other wireless users. You can capture the cookie and then log into popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, Bit.ly and lots of others. We tested it out at our local coffee shop and we were able to access Facebook profiles of anyone who logged in while we were there. Check out this post that explains it more: http://codebutler.com/firesheep
JRandom42:
And then there are the "evil twin" attacks and the "man in the middle attacks", it's surprising that so many people will use a public wifi hotspot ...MoreAnd then there are the "evil twin" attacks and the "man in the middle attacks", it's surprising that so many people will use a public wifi hotspot and not even consider the possiblity that they're broadcasting in the clear.
82 weeks ago
82 weeks ago
Timothy Johnson III:
I was just going to ask, if this exploit is nullified by using a secure VPN service like WiTopia, like MoreI was just going to ask, if this exploit is nullified by using a secure VPN service like WiTopia, like http://www.witopia.net. Seems like that's the case. I'd recommended using a VPN whenever you're using public WiFi, whether on a laptop/smartphone/tablet, to keep that data encrypted. I had great success using WiTopia
81 weeks ago
81 weeks ago
Mark W.
The government is becoming more involved with Internet privacy and balancing it with innovation and commerce. The article is at http://bit.ly/aRVdRa .
The White House council on technology has formed a new subcommittee. The subcommittee will try to develop a common Internet privacy strategy among all of the legislative and regulatory stakeholders, both in the U.S. and abroad. I think it's the right approach and wish them the best of luck with this very challenging and monumental, ongoing task
Nathan Lustig:
yea, it's going to be a really tough job to try to balance innovation and privacy, especially for a government body. hopefully they can raise ...Moreyea, it's going to be a really tough job to try to balance innovation and privacy, especially for a government body. hopefully they can raise awareness and get the larger companies to act responsibly.
81 weeks ago
81 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
Here's another creepy Facebook issue: at least 3 NYC teachers (both male and female) have been fired for friending students and then sending them messages like "you look sexy" and asking for their phone numbers. Apparently this has been an issue in school districts around the country. Another teacher gave his students extra credit for friending him on facebook. Do you think teachers should be able to friend their students? Or accept friend requests from them?
Scott Asai:
Professionally no. I guess it is a case by case, but it's better in this situation to err to the conservative/safe side.
83 weeks ago
83 weeks ago
L.J. Acker:
Boundaries, people, boundaries. I don't even friend my new clients after our coaching relationship is over.
82 weeks ago
82 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
It can take up to 16 months for Facebook to actually delete a photo. They hide the URL, but that doesn't stop Google from indexing it. Just another reminder to not post anything online that you don't want the rest of the world to see: http://gawker.com/5661393/
Ryan Paugh recommended this
Elizabeth Marling:
I saw this on the news! I think people need to chill out about the pics. If there is a pic of you online for any period of time that you don't ...MoreI saw this on the news! I think people need to chill out about the pics. If there is a pic of you online for any period of time that you don't want others to see, guess what....they have seen it. Get it removed as quickly as possible and move on.
That said, FB should ease off the info sharing. If they don't, they are going to wind up like Classmates.com.
84 weeks ago
That said, FB should ease off the info sharing. If they don't, they are going to wind up like Classmates.com.
84 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
There's a new company called Social Intelligence that is billing themselves as "online background checks" for employers. Employers can submit potential employees to Social Intelligence and they will data mine all public social media profiles, websites and mentions to try to find dirt like "Poor Judgment," "Gangs," "Drugs and Drug Lingo" and "Demonstrating Potentially Violent Behavior." It looks for racy photos, unguarded commentary about drugs and alcohol and much more. http://ow.ly/2OjcQ
Bryon Ownby recommended this
Mark W.:
It's one piece of the puzzle for HR's benefit to protect the company so it should be interesting to see how much "weight" this info carries when ...MoreIt's one piece of the puzzle for HR's benefit to protect the company so it should be interesting to see how much "weight" this info carries when making a judgment on an individual.
It appears all data collected is negative. Why not do a full character check on the individual - good and bad?
85 weeks ago
It appears all data collected is negative. Why not do a full character check on the individual - good and bad?
85 weeks ago
Mark W.:
The more I think about this company and the service it's providing to other companies, I think it should offer its service to individuals to find ...MoreThe more I think about this company and the service it's providing to other companies, I think it should offer its service to individuals to find only the best qualities of that individual posted on the Internet ... and then they can do their predictive analysis.
85 weeks ago
85 weeks ago
Jim Parker
While you were away, Chase Bank created an iPhone app that, in their words, let's you "Point. Shoot. Deposit" a check into an account without having to leave it in the ATM. This app promotes what experts call "check kiting:" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_kiting
Does anyone else see this as a potentially risky app for customers and the bank?
Nathan Lustig:
our of our employees is a member of USAA, the bank for former members of the military and their families. he's had this technology for about a ...Moreour of our employees is a member of USAA, the bank for former members of the military and their families. he's had this technology for about a year now and hasn't gone to the bank since. he loves it and hasn't had any problems yet.
87 weeks ago
87 weeks ago
Jim Parker:
Hmm, interesting. Hopefully the bank will release more information to reduce customer uncertainty.
87 weeks ago
87 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
I was reading about Mark Zuckerberg in Forbes today and they had an interesting stat. 63% of people surveyed in US don't trust Facebook with their data, but 90% of people surveyed use facebook. Why do you think that is?
Jesse Davis:
I imagine it's because people value Facebook social interaction over their own privacy. It's like a drug: people know it's bad for them but they ...MoreI imagine it's because people value Facebook social interaction over their own privacy. It's like a drug: people know it's bad for them but they do it anyway
87 weeks ago
87 weeks ago
Jim Parker:
Network externalities add value to the network. The more people are on it, the more likely the company will have customer loyalty.
AT&T and ...MoreNetwork externalities add value to the network. The more people are on it, the more likely the company will have customer loyalty.
AT&T and Verizon this with their free mobile-to-mobile minutes. The more ___ customers, the more minutes the ___ customer can retain or rollover.
Also, it would take all the King's horses and all his men to have a student not use their Facebook account.
87 weeks ago
AT&T and ...MoreNetwork externalities add value to the network. The more people are on it, the more likely the company will have customer loyalty.
AT&T and Verizon this with their free mobile-to-mobile minutes. The more ___ customers, the more minutes the ___ customer can retain or rollover.
Also, it would take all the King's horses and all his men to have a student not use their Facebook account.
87 weeks ago
Mark W.
Very good NY Times article here ( http://spedr.com/mdx2 ) that discusses 'flash' cookies and the differences between them and html cookies which can be controlled in your browser. Consumers are taking legal action against companies using these flash cookies. The problem is multifaceted. It stems from weak federal regulations, lack of ease of access to and control of privacy settings, and lack of knowledge on part of consumers leading to misunderstanding and fear of being tracked and info sold.
Nathan Lustig:
yes, good article, thanks for sharing. the technology is moving so quickly that the vast majority of consumers are left in the dark and whenever ...Moreyes, good article, thanks for sharing. the technology is moving so quickly that the vast majority of consumers are left in the dark and whenever there is way for companies to make money online, they'll do it, whether it's right or wrong.
87 weeks ago
87 weeks ago
Jim Parker
Commenting on Internet privacy issues as an end user is one thing, however, viewing it from and administrator's view is much different.
As a website administrator (or one who has advised one) what privacy/security issues do you see from your shoes that the end users don't? How do you balance user experience and efficiency with the maintaining the site's integrity or avoiding risks? Thanks.
Jesse Davis
Have you guys heard about this Google employee who was fired for accessing private user data? Check out the story here: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/web_services/showArticle.jh...
As Google admits, there's always going to need to be a select number of employees who have access to your most personal data if they really want it. Kind of scary...
Mark W.:
Jesse, thanks for the link to the article.
This inside security breach makes me wonder how many other breaches of security were unreported or ...MoreJesse, thanks for the link to the article.
This inside security breach makes me wonder how many other breaches of security were unreported or undetected at Google. Google did the right thing by dismissing the employee. It doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling to know about this incident. It just goes to show that one weak link in the chain is all that is needed to break perceived security.
88 weeks ago
This inside security breach makes me wonder how many other breaches of security were unreported or ...MoreJesse, thanks for the link to the article.
This inside security breach makes me wonder how many other breaches of security were unreported or undetected at Google. Google did the right thing by dismissing the employee. It doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling to know about this incident. It just goes to show that one weak link in the chain is all that is needed to break perceived security.
88 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
So apparently robbers are looking on Facebook/Twitter to see where people are checking in and then robbing their homes. The most recent case was in New Hampshire and the thieves got away with 100k of loot (http://ow.ly/2DqVJ).
I know that many of us use location services like Foursquare, Gowalla and now Facebook places. Are you worried at all about sharing your location?
Ryan Healy recommended this
Lindsey Sparks:
I don't really like the whole checking into locations things in general, so for me this is just another good reason not to do it. Ryan's right, ...MoreI don't really like the whole checking into locations things in general, so for me this is just another good reason not to do it. Ryan's right, but at the same time why make it easier for people?
88 weeks ago
88 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig:
@Ryan - I don't think being scared of criminals is a reason to not use check in services, since the likelyhood of you being the victim is really ...More@Ryan - I don't think being scared of criminals is a reason to not use check in services, since the likelyhood of you being the victim is really low.
@Lindsey - I agree with you. I don't do any of the checkin services because I like to keep at least some part of my life offline. Pretty much everything else in my life is online. I also don't like the idea of people knowing where I am.
88 weeks ago
@Lindsey - I agree with you. I don't do any of the checkin services because I like to keep at least some part of my life offline. Pretty much everything else in my life is online. I also don't like the idea of people knowing where I am.
88 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
So apparently robbers are looking on Facebook/Twitter to see where people are checking in and then robbing their homes. The most recent case was in New Hampshire and the thieves got away with 100k of loot (http://ow.ly/2DqVJ).
I know that many of us use location services like Foursquare, Gowalla and now Facebook places. Are you worried at all about sharing your location?
Mark W.
I just listened to David Vladeck, the director of the Consumer Protection Bureau at the Federal Trade Commission, talk about privacy and telecommunications policy on a 30 minute C-span video segment. It's part of C-span's "The Communicators" series. This segment is the first of a series that will last for four weeks. It was very interesting and informative. Mr. Vladeck seemed quite knowledgeable to me and did a good job of answering the questions posed to him. The URL is http://spedr.com/5thdh .
Nathan Lustig
Big news! Facebook is actually opening a new office in Austin, TX that's going to be focused on customer & developer support (http://ow.ly/2Bcg9). It seems like a good move, but do you think that they're really deliver? They haven't shown much sensitivity towards user's privacy concerns so far, and that seems to be where people need the most support. Do you guys think Facebook will focus on the right kinds of support? What would you have this new team focus on if you were Zuckerberg?
Ryan Paugh recommended this
Sean Masters:
On the office itself, the job listings are all for bizdev - I think you'll see the vast majority of support there on the B2B side as opposed to ...MoreOn the office itself, the job listings are all for bizdev - I think you'll see the vast majority of support there on the B2B side as opposed to B2C. I don't think the office opening relates to end-user concerns, privacy, etc. Maybe in a small way, say 15% of office resources towards end-user support?
If I were Zuckerberg that's where my focus would be. Because you're giving away something to end users in exchange for literally nothing, you don't do a lot of spend on supporting them. What you do instead is very efficient, targeted support to minimize spend and maximize impact. Then you have the other ~85% of the office focus on B2B development.
89 weeks ago
If I were Zuckerberg that's where my focus would be. Because you're giving away something to end users in exchange for literally nothing, you don't do a lot of spend on supporting them. What you do instead is very efficient, targeted support to minimize spend and maximize impact. Then you have the other ~85% of the office focus on B2B development.
89 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig:
yea you are probably right. It really is too bad that facebook/google etc think that if they give something away for free, they can treat their ...Moreyea you are probably right. It really is too bad that facebook/google etc think that if they give something away for free, they can treat their customers poorly.
88 weeks ago
88 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig
Let's kick this network off!
What's your biggest privacy concern with your internet life today? Is there a specific website or social network that worries you the most?
Sean Masters, Jesse Davis, Nikita T. Mitchell and Ryan Paugh and 1 others recommended this
Jim Parker:
@Nathan This clip may help students put it into perspective...
ReputationDefender's blog has a great post that touches on this subject (with the ...More@Nathan This clip may help students put it into perspective...
ReputationDefender's blog has a great post that touches on this subject (with the help of Stephen Colbert). http://www.reputationdefenderblog.com/2010/08/25/stephen-colbert-talks-o...
89 weeks ago
ReputationDefender's blog has a great post that touches on this subject (with the ...More@Nathan This clip may help students put it into perspective...
ReputationDefender's blog has a great post that touches on this subject (with the help of Stephen Colbert). http://www.reputationdefenderblog.com/2010/08/25/stephen-colbert-talks-o...
89 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig:
@Jim That clip was perfect. We're gonna do a blog post on it over on our company blog.
89 weeks ago
89 weeks ago
Nathan Lustig created the group Internet Privacy Talk
89 weeks ago
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