Facebook Backdoor Could Let Scammers and Marketers Access Your Info

by Warren Riddle on January 9, 2010 at 04:23 PM

When Facebook implemented new privacy settings last month, the move was initially celebrated. Many users believed that the updated features would give the site's members total and specific control over the information displayed on their profile pages.

People are steadily realizing, though, that the controls aren't universal and don't actually apply to certain data, like fan pages, profile pics, and friend lists. According to CNN, blogger Max Klein has discovered yet another flaw in Facebook's new security plan. And this hole is sure to be met with member fury.

According to Klein, a simple hack can allow anyone with your e-mail address to find your profile. They could then harvest valuable information from it, like your "full name, friends, gender, age, interests, location, job, and education level." While Facebook claims that it has "developed several systems to detect and block" such activity, the troubling and somewhat infuriating weakness could be particularly beneficial for marketers and scam artists, who could access large amounts of compromising information.

Facebook has previously been accused of selling out its members in order to generate more page views and advertising revenue, and this recent discovery will only serve to exacerbate that negative perception. If you're unsure of what information on your profile is publicly available and you want to lock it down as securely as possible, you can check out our step-by-step walkthrough of the new settings. [From: CNN]

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=786664&pid=786663&uts=1263438374

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Facebook's Most Annoying Things

Getty Images

Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

Tags: facebook, facebook privacy, FacebookPrivacy, hack, privacy, security, settings, top

Comments

BejentlJan 10th 2010 8:10AM

Highly Ranked

There is a solution...We all know that Facebook and the like are public forums. Don't post anything you'd not want everyone to know...Privacy is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Technology has consequences as well as advantages...Welcome to the digital age!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

Facebook Backdoor Could Let Scammers and Marketers Access Your Info

Share and Discuss

Comments

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Latest News

Notable

Our Favorite Sites

Tech News

Design

Web

More

Feeds