Attila

Switching to Facebook?

Saturday, 20. September 2008, 04:16:57

The Danish Ministry of Health's prevention commission is concerned about the legality of Facebook. The commission wants to know if the personal information posted on a person's profile is covered under Danish law when users log onto the Danish version of the website, or by California law, where the Facebook company is registered.

Facebook has around 700,000 Danish users, all of whom have agreed to the Facebook terms of use.

The terms and conditions of signing up to the website include a clause that allows for the terms to be changed without any notice to the user. The user also loses any right to the information they post of their personal profile.

Anette Høyrup, a lawyer with the commission, said that by agreeing to this condition, a user is giving Facebook the right to save and use personal information in the future, even if the user has removed it from their profile page.

This means that the things you write can haunt you many years later, without you being able to do anything about it. This term is in clear conflict with Danish personal data laws, because in Denmark it is illegal to save information about people for ever and use it commercially behind their backs.

Google faced harsh criticism when it was discovered that its new browser was launched with similarly dubious data protection terms and conditions as Facebook’s. Google later announced that it is changing the terms to offer consumers more privacy, and the prevention commission has urged Facebook to do the same.

I think I'll just stay here at MyOpera.

Porn in Danish SupermarketThe Candidate ~ Kandidaten

Comments

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Moesring # 20. September 2008, 04:26

As far as I understand it, there is no confusion here. From what I know, in cases like this you are bound by the laws where the company is located. In Facebook's case, this would mean that Californian law is the only law that applies.

I guess the main morals of the story here are:
Don't put personal information on Facebook, or any site at all, unless you don't mind that information being recorded somewhere. (By the company themselves, by stalkers, by computer programs etc. etc.)
Always read the terms and conditions very carefully.
Use My Opera - it's so much better than its competitors.

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 04:29

I have to agree with all your points.
- Also the My Opera-part, even though I haven't even tried the competitors.

Moesring # 20. September 2008, 04:30

I've seen others but never registered with them. All that matters is that My Opera is the best.

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 04:31

We would never be able to find better friends there than we already got here, so why even bother!

gdare # 20. September 2008, 05:27

The most annoying thing about Facebook is that even if someone who has account there and send you a link to, say, see his photographs from a summer vacation, you must make account before you access them

I almost did it once but users interface is so yucky and boring that I deleted it before even finished it. Told my friend to send me photos by mail

My Opera is enough for me. And most beautiful so far

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 05:33

I've never tried accessing Facebook - I guess none of my IRL friends have been able to make me interested enough. I asked one of them what the main purpose was for her to have a Facebook account, and she answered "gossipping", so I just rolled my eyes and said no thank you then.

qlue # 20. September 2008, 06:46

Wierd that something that violates basic human rights should be so popular.

Spaggyj # 20. September 2008, 09:24

I can't stand Facebook. It's stupid.

Furie # 20. September 2008, 09:51

It has it's uses. I play games there myself. As a social network it sucks though.

rose-marie # 20. September 2008, 10:23

There was something similar a few years ago, regarding iTunes, I think. I can't remember exactly what it was, but if memory serves correctly, the outcome was that Norwegian law should apply.

I asked a friend of mine to remove a picture of me on Facebook once. She did it, but she thought I was nuts

theoddbod # 20. September 2008, 10:44

I've refused all requests to have a presence on Facebook linking to IRL friends. I've got a fake account though - mainly used for the occasional game now.

Cois # 20. September 2008, 11:13

Facebook sucks..I just joined cause a mate signed me up..

Furie # 20. September 2008, 13:09

I joined to keep my dictator skills in practice while my minions work on a new body for me.

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 13:37

@ Qlue ~ In fact I never understood the popularity of it.

@ Kimmie ~ A colleague showed me how it worked. It didn't interest me one bit after that.

@ Mik ~ I don't play much games online. And when I do, I usually play the free online minigames.

@ Rose ~ I've tried the same, asking a (ex)friend to remove my photo from her website. She did also remove it, but she didn't understand why. And of course she had chosed to put the ugliest excisting picture of me there.

@ Mart ~ If I should ever choose to get a facebook account, I would do it just like you do.

@ Cois ~ Do you ever use your account?

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 14:44

I don't like Facebook either. I signed it up but thank God I didn't fill in any information about me or they don't have my pictures

rose-marie # 20. September 2008, 15:13

I guess I shouldn't complain - I do have a facebook account too - but I wish people would ok the pictures they put up there first...
Yes, that was one ugly picture of me too

Cois # 20. September 2008, 15:40

Don't use it but to log on and check out my mates pics and stuff..

that's about once every 6 months..

wickedlizard # 20. September 2008, 16:23

I have a facebook account and I only use it for laughs, there is no personal info there at all.

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 17:37

@ André ~ So, are you using the account for anything, or was it just to check something out?

@ Rose ~ Why are people always finding the ugliest possible photos and show them to others?

No wonder I prefer being on the other side of the camera.

@ Cois ~ Fine! It's better to have you here!

@ Issy ~ For laughs? How is that? Gaming, or...?

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 17:41

I don't remember if it was Kerstin or Dimitris (my first friend here) who invited me to sign it up. I did it but I have never used it anymore.

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 17:41

Ah, ok.

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 17:53

Have you ever heard about orkut

wickedlizard # 20. September 2008, 17:58

yeah, i have giggles with all the super poke stuff there...

attilasoul # 20. September 2008, 18:00

Orkut. Orkut.... Hmmmm....

No, I have never heard of that.

@ Issy

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 18:05

www.orkut.com

This was the first website to meet people I signed up.

I still have my account there.

qlue # 20. September 2008, 20:11

I was invited there, signed up and then I started having problems with it. I got a lot of spam through orkut. At present, the only other account that I have is ZKOUT (pronounced scout apparently.) It's at www.zkout.com for pc, (requires flash) or for phonies m.zkout.com
You can host video's there. but beware, your username is hidden but the name you enter as your real name is displayed to everyone. (I use the name 'Jack Horner' from the nursery rhyme.)

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 20:22

I have never had a problem with orkut.

qlue # 20. September 2008, 22:11

Shortly after signing up, I couldn't access it from Operamini anymore. Other users complained about the same problem in the Operamini forum. I never bothered to follow it up so I don't know if they ever resolved that issue. :shrugs:

decaspecht # 20. September 2008, 23:09

Ohh I see.. I have never used Operamini

glue, don't you have your page anymore therE?

gdare # 21. September 2008, 06:36

he is qlue, not a glue
I made a same mistake once, since then I am hiding from him

Cois # 21. September 2008, 08:11

qlue # 21. September 2008, 08:41

.
No need to hide. The brain spaces out when it's presented with a q that's not followed by a u.
I use gmail, so my details are still on there. But it's not easy to use from a mobile so I don't use most of the other google features.

decaspecht # 21. September 2008, 15:04

ohh sorry qlue

I could swear it was glue

hehehe
oh I see.. I always use it so I could look for you there.

Suntana # 21. September 2008, 19:48

I guess I'll nix my political ........ and American Idol plans.

Wouldn't want who knows what to be dragged out once I make it Big.

I don't use Facebook or MySpace at all.

attilasoul # 21. September 2008, 20:13

- And you're only experimentating on MyOpera?

Suntana # 21. September 2008, 20:49

EXACTLY!

It's funny. I have WHAT ... 2 months of Blogging? Just 2 or so months before that, a friend whose MySpace articles I view, encouraged me to Comment on her MySpace and to FRIEND her there. I asked her how that worked. When I found out I had to have a MySpace Page myself, I was like, "ME have a MySpace Page? Oh Yeah, RIGHT! I'll create a Page and THEN what? What do I put on it? I wouldn't have a clue what to put on it. If I ever suddenly have something interesting to write about, I'll create a MySpace Page. But, I don't see that happening anytime soon."

Okay, via usage of semantics, I guess I wasn't really OFF with my thinking because I have NOT created a MySpace Page yet. And I don't see me creating one anytime soon. Never mind that I have taken over this Opera Blog Experiment that was SUPPOSED to be for my niece's use ... and I am now filling it with ..... Stuff.

qlue # 21. September 2008, 21:19

Fun isn't it?

Suntana # 21. September 2008, 22:33

Yup, that it is. I have a little over 5 years Message Boards experience under my belt. But, I like how here on the Blogs, it is obvious one has more freedom what to write and pictures to post up. One doesn't have to walk on eggshells on the Blogs, fearing the Rules-breaking Police. On the Message Boards, especially if you happen to have enemies, you just KNOW they're lurking in the rafters waiting for you to use a remotely questionable word so they can report you.

In all my years with AOL, I only got TOSed once. Getting TOSed over there is when you officially get reprimanded for breaking a Rule. They'll Lock your Internet Access and you'll have to call 'em up to explain yourself.

And they'll reset all your Screen Names' Passwords to PASSWORD so as to teach you a lesson by inconveniencing you to again set your Passwords to what you want. I was TOSed for simply QUOTING a movie line. One of the Posters had previously commented that one of her favorite movie lines was from the movie Heathers and the line was - "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."

So, one day in the context of whatever the Chat Thread was, I brought that line up. Someone reported me and my Internet Access was Locked.

Actually, they only sorta criple your Internet Access. You'll have just enough Access to where you can go through the Reprimand Process OnLine instead of calling them on the phone. THEN they'll Un-Criple your Internet Access.

qlue # 22. September 2008, 03:00

That sucks! Here you have to seriously piss someone of or do something illegal or severely unethical (e.g. porn) to get banned. Most people like that this is a fairly safe place in terms of content and stay well within the boundary of decent. The few slackers who can't behave tend to vanish in short order.

dannii # 22. September 2008, 03:58

The calendar feature on Facebook's really useful to me.

attilasoul # 22. September 2008, 04:21

I love it here on MyOpera. Nice people around, cool blogs, pleasant atmosphere. Of course there are things that could work better. The friends system for one, many of us have on our wishlist that the friends system will change so you'll have to say yes in order to be on somebodys list. Me, I'd like the block-system to work differently. If you block someone, it would be nice if they couldn't even access your blog. It's not enough that they can't comment. I want them out!

And the admins here are cool. I've seen them react fast more than once when I reported porn and other things here.

dannii # 22. September 2008, 04:25

So you're the one that reported my cute photos from "Dannii naked on Ibiza" album.

attilasoul # 22. September 2008, 04:55

Yes. I told you to remove them!

Suntana # 22. September 2008, 05:29

WHAT? Blocked people can still VIEW your Blog? I didn't know that. I was under the assumption that they could probably only view your Info Page, but NOT your Blog or About Page. What about can Blocked people still PM you?

Moesring # 22. September 2008, 05:31

Blocked users cannot PM

but, as far as I know, they could still write in your shoutbox. I don't know if they fixed that or not.

Suntana # 22. September 2008, 05:41

BTW, Tilla, I am sorry ... ashamed, Pissed Off that I had NOT seen your Art Gallery sooner --- much sooner!

Is it getting Hot in here? Where's the Air Conditioner switch? Must check it out more leisurely tomorrow. It is now too late and well, Dial Up doesn't help.