Facebook 'tagging' bypasses privacy settings

[localzuk]

So, you have all your settings locked down to 'Friends only'. You think your photos will now only be visible to those people in your friends list? Think again.

Should a friend of yours tag someone who isn't in your friend's list, that person will now have access to it. Meaning your limit to 'Friends only' means nothing.

I emailed Facebook about this, and their response was 'This is by design'.

[elsiegee40]

The only way to stop this is to use your privacy settings to stop friends from tagging your pictures.

The person who is not your friend will only have access to the photo that they are tagged in, not to any other of your photos though.

[GrumbleDook]

If someone tags me then I get a copy of the photo, put it in my album (viewable only by a custom group) and then tag it with the relevant folk. I then remove the tag from the other photo and explain why.

There are some exceptions (EduGeek group) but anything personal i try to do that way. Time consuming but worth it.

[powdarrmonkey]

This behaviour has always been the case, and it's always been a problem.

[jamesb]

I used to beleive that facebook's lack of any sort of privacy understanding was purely due to incompetence and misunderstanding, in the same way that I used to believe that google's hunger for personal information was at least partly altruistic.

I am rapidly coming to understand that in fact there are fundamental flaws in the structure of these things, which are not to the benefit of users. It has got to a point now where you are almost forced to use facebook in order to keep in touch with people - and so you end up with this shallow little profile which you daren't put anything risque on in case it's seen by someone who might take offense. You end up with all of these 'friendships' which are based on nothing more than the occasional throwaway comment on someone's status or the sending of an odd chicken now and then. There is no depth to these things, and no actual relationship being built. Everything on the system is designed to make you view relationships as simple, one-dimensional things based on a few shared jokes, and to turn you into just another bland little profile who can show and share everything with the world, because nothing you do is going to offend anyone.

Facebook is not your friend.

Sorry about the rant.

[GREED]

Great post James, very true and I blogged something similar a few months back when FB was in trouble with privacy. Free speach in some ways is no longer free. When you could flame someone on a forum or the likes, shut your PC down then go elsewhere the next day are long gone. FB is linked to just about every other social media/network or professional network there is now, which is why I keep FB seperate from my professional networks. You say one thing and it can be traced to EVERYTHING about you and EVERYTHING you have ever said.

[GREED]

Colleage showed me a piece of software that can scan all social networks for messages and individuals and bring back a whole heap of information and statistics about that person or organisation... scary really!

[elsiegee40]

If you want to see what the search engines can find about you ,use 123People

Be aware that its performance may be affected by school filtering!

[russdev]

This all comes back to even what you put online is public period be that facebook, twitter or edugeek. You have a choice you take part being aware of that or you do not take part.

Russ

[LeMarchand]

The only way to stop this is to use your privacy settings to stop friends from tagging your pictures.

Or not have a Facebook account .

It has got to a point now where you are almost forced to use facebook in order to keep in touch with people

Whilst I wouldn't go that far, I do find it annoying that many major businesses/institutions assume that everyone has a Facebook account.

Colleage showed me a piece of software that can scan all social networks for messages and individuals and bring back a whole heap of information and statistics about that person or organisation... scary really!

Care to share?

[powdarrmonkey]

I used to beleive that facebook's lack of any sort of privacy understanding was purely due to incompetence and misunderstanding, in the same way that I used to believe that google's hunger for personal information was at least partly altruistic.

Oh, there's no lack of understanding. Facebook's whole business model (yes, it's a business, to make people rich) depends on you not being able to control your information. That's why there are 'flaws', 'leaks', and privacy settings nested four levels deep.

Did you know, for example, that if the application platform is enabled, even if you have no applications and you are listed as invisible, any application can still retrieve your basic details?

edit: any time, at will, and you don't get notified.

[JJonas]

Colleage showed me a piece of software that can scan all social networks for messages and individuals and bring back a whole heap of information and statistics about that person or organisation... scary really!

Ok im interested. What piece of software?

[GREED]

I'll find out the software and get back to you, I don't work with him often.