It seems that Facebook employees enjoy seeing whose profiles you looked at while relaxing on their lunch breaks.

According to Valleywag, they have heard that Facebook employees are checking to see who looks at whose profiles for their own amusement, raising privacy concerns from the public.  Mind you, Valleywag’s source is the friend of an anonymous source who received a call from a friend, so the evidence is a bit tenuous at best.

While it is not usual for automated systems to check information, for instance, Gmail knowing what ads to serve you, it is considered to be a major violation of privacy for employees to do it.  And Facebook, which has always taken privacy very seriously, so this would see as a major backlash for the popular social network.

From a personal standpoint: Really?  People would be surprised there are a few bad apples at any given company that would abuse their access and power?  My view has always been that if something is sitting on a server somewhere, I have given away any idea that it is truly private.  I don’t trust anyone on any level when it comes to my information.  If this story proves to be true, which it may very well be, it will happen again.

I am sure this hasn’t happened just at Facebook, it has probably happened at every social network ever.  I think I am more surprised by people being, well, surprised.

No matter where you go on the net, you’re leaving a trail behind you.  If you don’t want people knowing what you’re doing, don’t do it online.

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Related:

Facebook introduces clutter-reducing tabs to user profiles

Researchers say: let the desk jockies keep Facebook

Facebook to lure non-members by giving up its members’ information

The Anti-Facebook: Hatebook let’s you embrace your inner hater

Facebook is a $5 billion drain on business

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Entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 6:55 pm under Opinion.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Sean P. Aune.