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Awhile ago, a friend gave me a heads-up about an online web directory called Spokeo that collects and presents detailed information about individuals. It isn't harmless information like social networking pages either. Instead, the site that describes itself as "not your grandma's phonebook" lists stuff like your address, home phone number, related persons (most often family members), relationship status, age, hobbies, estimated income, home value, credit score, pictures, and more.
At the time, I checked-out the site and confirmed that it was indeed a sketchy situation. Recently, I've noticed Spokeo in the news, as people have begun to take notice. Playing with the site again, it's obvious that some of their information has improved, while other pieces remain out-of-date. The site now hides much of the information behind a pay wall, but some can still be accessed for free.
Technically Legal, but Is It Acceptable?
Amar Toor of AOL Technology's Switched blog writes that Spokeo may soon be investigated by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after the FTC started receiving complaints from users and interest groups. Claudia Bourne Farrell, spokeswoman for the FTC, confirmed that the Center for Democracy and Technology has petitioned the FTC to investigate the site. They claim that Spokeo violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) writes "And do realize that since we live in the Information Age, some information is public record, like real estate listings, some government information, and your phone number and address unless they are unlisted."
Intertwined Issues
The BBB says that if you choose to put your information on the Web but don't want it being found and/or collected, to make sure that you enable the strictest of privacy settings for your online accounts. This is sometimes easier said than done, especially with social networking sites like Facebook that are constantly in the news for privacy-related issues.
In fact, Facebook made headlines again this week for allowing third-party developers access to peoples' home addresses and phone numbers. The social network claimed innocence, saying that users connecting with these developers are prompted about sharing some information with them first. However, the request box doesn't state what information is being shared, or how. For this reason, many users don't hesitate before accepting.
Some say that this is an issue of user carelessness, while others say that Facebook should be more explicit about what types of information is being shared. Facebook has since temporarily suspended the initiative, stating:
Over the weekend, we got some useful feedback that we could make people more clearly aware of when they are granting access to this data. We agree, and we are making changes to help ensure you only share this information when you intend to do so.
Thoughts
Privacy settings or not, personal information can still seep-out into the Web and onto sites like Spokeo. While there are steps for removing yourself from these sites, the collected data doesn't just disappear instantly.
As we continue to live in an extremely interconnected world, privacy issues like these will continue to arise. While some can brush them off with an "if you don't like it, don't post online attitude," others rely on their online nooks to keep in touch with friends and family, to get information or entertainment, and more. For younger generations especially, the Web is very much a part of their daily lives.
Have you searched for yourself on Spokeo or other personal data mining sites? Do you think people should be concerned with these issues, or are they too concerned already?
Resources:
Alexis. "Facebook Really Messing with Your Privacy Now." MobileComputingNews.com. 20 January 2011.
Doering, Holly. "Spokeo.com: Panic Unecessary." The Better Business Bureau. 12 January 2011.
Toor, Amar. "Spokeo Publishes All of Your Personal Information in One Place. Here's How to (Temporarily) Protect Your Privacy." Switched Blog. 20 January 2011.
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Re: Can You Expect Privacy in the Information Age?
