Facebook Gave 38K Users' Data to Governments in 6 Months

[Newsjock]

Source: Wired

Facebook divulged to governments data on about 38,000 users worldwide in the first six months of 2013, the social-networking site announced today.

The figures, released in its first report detailing such affairs globally, highlights that the United States led the way in demands for Facebook user data. The data, the social-networking giant said, concern basic subscriber information, such as name and length of service. “Other requests may also seek IP address logs or actual account content,” Facebook said.

The United States sought data from between 20,000 to 21,000 accounts. Facebook said the data included “criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law.” It said it was prohibited from detailing exact numbers or types of national security-related requests, which would include National Security Letters and FISA court orders.

In all, 74 nations sought Facebook data. India came in second, demanding information on 4,144 accounts. The United Kingdom was next, followed by Germany, Italy and France.


Read more: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/08/facebook-divulged-user-data/

[arcane1]

1. "basic subscriber information, such as name and length of service"?

You can get that from a person's Facebook profile, even if their privacy settings are locked down tight. I guess "such as" is the key phrase here.

[David Krout]

2. Hold on. Do the "3 hops" apply to these 38K people?

That is, does the NSA have the right to snoop on the friends of these people, and the friends of these friends, and the friends, etc...., due to what's been called the "3 hop" rule?

How does that work?

[jmowreader]

3. And how many users' data has Facebook sold in those past six months?

Facebook makes money by selling its users' personal data and browsing habits to anyone who comes in waving money. It ain't exactly the paragon of privacy.

[Posteritatis]

5. It's got a little over one billion users, so I'd say a little over one billion. (nt)

[Zoeisright]

4. There is a lot of violent rhetoric and racism on Facebook

and I'm glad they're doing that. If you look around there, you'll see incredible threats against the President, hate speech, and graphic violence. Anyone who thinks that's perfectly fine is sick.

[WhiteHat]

7. Check the 1st Amendment

A) Freedom of speech is a constitutional right. Our enjoyment of others' speech is not.

B) Given the sheer number of users, Facebook does a fair job of policing offensive and threatening material.

C) The article doesn't specify what percentage of requests were from the NSA, but some were. The NSA is not a law enforcement organization, though, and it is apparently free to ignore "just cause" (i.e., the 4th amendment) in its secret pursuit of information. That is not "policing" as Americans have come to understand the term. If anything, the NSA would ENCOURAGE nuts to keep posting. They get more information that way.

[Bragi]

9. C'mon, get with the post-constitutional program /nt

[Ash_F]

8. Are you ok with it all being in secret?

Before and after the fact?

The whole point of a warrant is for law enforcement to NOT be secret. It is for accountability. If you are to make accusations, you have to show your work.

Otherwise we have abuse, as has been the history of the government going after progressive reformists, civil rights leaders and, apparently, their own lovers.


NSA employees spied on their lovers using eavesdropping programme
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=574751

[WhiteHat]

6. OMG! So many terrorists!

And if they're all dumb enough to post dastardly thoughts on Facebook they might do anything!

[Bragi]

10. Seems only fair

What with FB being CIA initiative...

[blkmusclmachine]

11. .

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