Facebook has continued to leverage user data for all kinds of analytics and marketing purposes. I am sure Facebook has covered all the legal basis with their expensive lawyers. When you accept terms at the time of creating a Facebook account (without reading the terms), you give up your rights about how much of your (and your friends) data can be shared. But, this is not a legal issue. Most users don't read the terms of any website but their implicit understanding is that their data will not be exploited.
Users expect to be targeted with ads because they are getting a free access. But, there is a difference between targeting for ads and your personal and private information being exploited to influence your behavior. Back in 2014, I had published a blog post about Facebook experimenting with your minds - https://thesocialnumber.blogspot.com/2014/07/facebook-messing-with-peoples-minds.html. Users were upset about that experiment but most continued to use Facebook without major concerns.
In the most recent scandal Cambridge Analytica funded by conservative billionaire Robert Mercer (friend of Donald Trump and Steve Bannon), acquired and exploited the data of 50 million Facebook users. The online publication Vox.com explains the whole saga in very simple terms here - https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/23/17151916/facebook-cambridge-analytica-trump-diagram
Finally, users have realized that Facebook is not the platform to share their feelings and opinions without repercussions. There is a movement for #deletefacebook on Twitter and users are abandoning the Facebook ship including many celebrities like Elon Musk, and Cher who have already deleted their Facebook accounts.
It's about time users turn to anonymous social networks like Social Number where not only their data is not exploited, they can express their opinions freely without any repercussions from bosses, families, friends, and others.
Social Number is available from the website https://www.socialnumber.com or you can download the app from Google Play or Apple Playstore. Get your number today and start expressing yourself freely.
See you online soon!
M.K.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Facebook messing with people's minds
Facebook's recent experiment on mood manipulation has backfired. Not only FB was experimenting on users, it failed to inform the users of the experiment leading to this lawsuit - http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-experiment-messed-peoples-minds-210146917.html;_ylt=AwrTWVULJLhTARUA9dvQtDMD
Facebook, Google, and other traditional social media companies continue to break privacy rules. We only find out when someone catches it by chance. Who knows how our personal data is being manipulated by these companies that we'll find out months or years from now. Clearly consumer data is very important to these companies as they create new products that are geared toward collecting more and more information about you.
Most users don't realize that anytime you are posting information on FB, Google, Twitter, and others, you are completely exposed. One statement can ruin your career, your relationships, and even your personal credit. Messages float out there with your name attached to them and anyone can search for them and find your profile, background, political affiliation, and other information.
While traditional media is good for sharing photos and updates with your immediate friends and family, it should not be used for expressing your opinions that might be controversial or impact you in a negative way. Which is why most users are switching to social media sites like www.socialnumber.com to express themselves freely without any repercussions.
- M.K.
Facebook, Google, and other traditional social media companies continue to break privacy rules. We only find out when someone catches it by chance. Who knows how our personal data is being manipulated by these companies that we'll find out months or years from now. Clearly consumer data is very important to these companies as they create new products that are geared toward collecting more and more information about you.
Most users don't realize that anytime you are posting information on FB, Google, Twitter, and others, you are completely exposed. One statement can ruin your career, your relationships, and even your personal credit. Messages float out there with your name attached to them and anyone can search for them and find your profile, background, political affiliation, and other information.
While traditional media is good for sharing photos and updates with your immediate friends and family, it should not be used for expressing your opinions that might be controversial or impact you in a negative way. Which is why most users are switching to social media sites like www.socialnumber.com to express themselves freely without any repercussions.
- M.K.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Facebook removes another layer of privacy for users
Facebook announced a few days ago that users can no longer choose to be anonymous in searches - http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2300217/Facebook-Users-Can-No-Longer-Remain-Anonymous-in-Search. What does that mean for you? Well, you will show up in searches done by anyone - a criminal, hacker, stalker.... You can still hide your posts from people outside your circle. But there's nothing stopping people from finding you on Facebook. The only option is to delete your account.
It's interesting that while more and more users are seeking anonymity, traditional social media sites like Facebook are making it harder to be even private. Which is why there's a widespread trend to turn to anonymous social media sites like SocialNumber.com. I had posted a blog on a recent study by Pew Research a few weeks ago in which a vast majority of respondents admitted they they try to hide their identity on social media - http://thesocialnumber.blogspot.com/2013/09/86-of-internet-users-have-tried-to-hide.html
This trend is expected to continue as users are having meaningful and candid conversations on sites like SocialNumber.com where there are no repercussions and according to users it's quite liberating.
Join the movement of anonymity and express yourself freely.
- M.K.
It's interesting that while more and more users are seeking anonymity, traditional social media sites like Facebook are making it harder to be even private. Which is why there's a widespread trend to turn to anonymous social media sites like SocialNumber.com. I had posted a blog on a recent study by Pew Research a few weeks ago in which a vast majority of respondents admitted they they try to hide their identity on social media - http://thesocialnumber.blogspot.com/2013/09/86-of-internet-users-have-tried-to-hide.html
This trend is expected to continue as users are having meaningful and candid conversations on sites like SocialNumber.com where there are no repercussions and according to users it's quite liberating.
Join the movement of anonymity and express yourself freely.
- M.K.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Express grievances on traditional social media like Facebook - NOT!
A recent New York Post article talked about issues with posting grievances on social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others - http://nypost.com/2013/10/13/should-you-air-work-grievances-on-social-media/. The article highlights many examples of people who complained about their compensation or other issues online and got fired. There are a lot of disgruntled workers out there who want to vent their frustrations. But, expressing these feelings on the traditional social media is not a brilliant idea. You are completely exposed and your co-workers, boss, and pretty much everyone else can read your posts. Not only your current boss or HR person can be offended resulting in your termination, your future employers could also hold your comments against you and you might not get the job due to your dis-loyalty to your previous employer.
Traditional social media is good for basic updates that are innocuous. Anything controversial or of personal nature should be completely avoided. That's why more and more users are switching to anonymous social media sites like SocialNumber.com where they can talk about any thing they want and vent their frustrations without any negative implications. On SocialNumber.com, where you are just a number that you get by signing up on the site, no one knows your true identity and you can express yourself freely. For example, users have created a group called Bad Bosses - http://socialnumber.com/discussion/reports-being-born where they talk about their frustrations against their bosses. It's an open discussion and users give advice to one another without any one revealing their or their bosses identities.
Anonymous social media is truly the platform for freedom of expression.
- M.K.
Traditional social media is good for basic updates that are innocuous. Anything controversial or of personal nature should be completely avoided. That's why more and more users are switching to anonymous social media sites like SocialNumber.com where they can talk about any thing they want and vent their frustrations without any negative implications. On SocialNumber.com, where you are just a number that you get by signing up on the site, no one knows your true identity and you can express yourself freely. For example, users have created a group called Bad Bosses - http://socialnumber.com/discussion/reports-being-born where they talk about their frustrations against their bosses. It's an open discussion and users give advice to one another without any one revealing their or their bosses identities.
Anonymous social media is truly the platform for freedom of expression.
- M.K.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
86% of Internet users have tried to hide their identity online and be anonymous
Anonymity continues to be a big issue for most users who go online. According to a recent Pew Research study, underwritten by Carnegie Mellon University(http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_AnonymityOnline_090513.pdf), 86% of adult Internet users have taken steps from time to time to avoid surveillance by other
people or organizations when they were using the Internet. The survey also revealed that 59% of Internet users do not believe it is possible to be completely anonymous online. About a quarter to a third of the respondents have either not used the site if it asked for their real identity or used a temporary email address to post comments.
When it comes to social media, users are starting to realize that they cannot have meaningful discussions on mainstream media because they fully exposed with their real identity and anything they post can come back to haunt them. This is especially true for sensitive and taboo topics like relationship issues, dealing with a bad boss, substance abuse, sex issues, politics, and many others. And that's the advantage of using anonymous social media sites like Socialnumber.com. You can have detailed discussions on any topic without ever revealing your true identity. You get your own number on the site and that social number is your only identity. You can truly express your freely.
Here's one of the many recent comments on how users are enjoying the site:
"And again, many thanks for this site. I've probably had the best enlightening, motivating and entertaining conversation of my life at this site."
- M.K.
people or organizations when they were using the Internet. The survey also revealed that 59% of Internet users do not believe it is possible to be completely anonymous online. About a quarter to a third of the respondents have either not used the site if it asked for their real identity or used a temporary email address to post comments.
When it comes to social media, users are starting to realize that they cannot have meaningful discussions on mainstream media because they fully exposed with their real identity and anything they post can come back to haunt them. This is especially true for sensitive and taboo topics like relationship issues, dealing with a bad boss, substance abuse, sex issues, politics, and many others. And that's the advantage of using anonymous social media sites like Socialnumber.com. You can have detailed discussions on any topic without ever revealing your true identity. You get your own number on the site and that social number is your only identity. You can truly express your freely.
Here's one of the many recent comments on how users are enjoying the site:
"And again, many thanks for this site. I've probably had the best enlightening, motivating and entertaining conversation of my life at this site."
- M.K.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
NSA, Patriot Act, Snowden, Lavabit - Is U.S. Govt pushing the envelope too much?
You can debate the Snowden story various different ways. Is he a Traitor? Is he a Hero? You can argue both sides pretty effectively depending on your vantage point. One thing is for sure - most Americans are feeling uneasy about invasion of privacy by the government agencies.
There is one country in the World that can claim to be the true friend of "freedom of speech". And, that's the good old U.S. of A. However, recent events surrounding Snowden revelations around the NSA spying scandal have scarred that claim. Where there's smoke there's fire. There are a lot of interesting and shocking facts in Snowden's disclosures. Even President Obama has promised NSA surveillance reforms (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/obama-nsa-surveillance-reforms-press-conference).
Ladar Levison, Owner of Lavabit, a free secure email service used by Snowden, posted a letter on Socialnumber.com (http://socialnumber.com/discussion/become-complicit-crimes-against-american-people-or-walk-away-ten-years-hard-work) informing users that he had decided to suspend his service to protect Americans from "crimes against them". This move, apparently was driven by a secret NSA search warrant with a gag order (hint: Patriot Act = Govt can kill your constitutional rights anytime it wants).
Anyway, we hope Ladar will be able to pursue this legally and get his operations back up and running. Anonymous sites like Lavabit, Socialnumber.com and others allow users to express themselves freely which is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. Freedom of speech is desperately needed not only in the U.S. but around the globe. I hope the U.S. Government can keep a proper balance between going after the terrorists to protect citizens and protecting constitutional rights of the citizens.
- M.K.
There is one country in the World that can claim to be the true friend of "freedom of speech". And, that's the good old U.S. of A. However, recent events surrounding Snowden revelations around the NSA spying scandal have scarred that claim. Where there's smoke there's fire. There are a lot of interesting and shocking facts in Snowden's disclosures. Even President Obama has promised NSA surveillance reforms (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/obama-nsa-surveillance-reforms-press-conference).
Ladar Levison, Owner of Lavabit, a free secure email service used by Snowden, posted a letter on Socialnumber.com (http://socialnumber.com/discussion/become-complicit-crimes-against-american-people-or-walk-away-ten-years-hard-work) informing users that he had decided to suspend his service to protect Americans from "crimes against them". This move, apparently was driven by a secret NSA search warrant with a gag order (hint: Patriot Act = Govt can kill your constitutional rights anytime it wants).
Anyway, we hope Ladar will be able to pursue this legally and get his operations back up and running. Anonymous sites like Lavabit, Socialnumber.com and others allow users to express themselves freely which is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. Freedom of speech is desperately needed not only in the U.S. but around the globe. I hope the U.S. Government can keep a proper balance between going after the terrorists to protect citizens and protecting constitutional rights of the citizens.
- M.K.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
What you post on social media can come back and haunt you
A recent survey by Lawyers.com reveals that most people don't think of the consequences before they post on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and others.
"The reason why it's a wake-up call is because the
study indicates that more than half the people out there who use social media
don't realize that what they post on social media can be used against them in a
court of a law, and to me that's a big surprise," said Zimmerman.
Even if you don't think it has an legal implications, it can come back and haunt you. For example, your posts can be subpoenaed at any point. Also, if you checked in online that can be held against you in case.
Online posts can also get you in trouble with your boss.
"When you work for somebody you have the right not to be discriminated against your race, your gender, your sex, your ethnicity, where you were born - the protected class things federal law protects, but you don't have the right to be stupid," said Zimmerman.
One more reason to move away from the mainstream social media and start using anonymous social media websites like socialnumber.com. Facebook, and Twitter are good for harmless status updates on your birthday, family pictures etc. But when it comes to discuss real issues online the only safe way is to do it anonymously.
- M.K.
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