Members of Congress on Tuesday requested a briefing with Facebook over allegations that the societal web potentially misinform drug user who discuss their medical stipulation in “ closed ” groups that they believed to be private and anonymous . But Facebook say user who shared information in these mathematical group should have understood that the societal connection “ is not an anonymous program . ”
Inan undetermined letterto Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , Representative Frank Pallone , Jr. , president of the House Energy and Commerce Committee , Jr. and Representative Jan Schakowsky , chairperson of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee , questioned the societal web ’s privacy drill regarding its handling of closed groups dedicated to medical issues .
The committee ’s letter derive in response toa consumer complaintfiled with the Federal Trade Commissionin Decemberand publicly expel this week that claims the personal information of Facebook user in closed groups may have been made usable to companies and individuals who should n’t have had access code to it . The letter of the alphabet explicate that , harmonize to the complaint , substance abuser in these groups partake entropy “ about substance use disorders , about the challenge of rear transgender nestling , HIV status , and past history of sexual assault . ”
A closed in Facebook mathematical group is n’t the same as a secret Facebook group — the name of a closed group and its description can be viewed by the populace , but post are only viewable by member . The FTC ailment allege that Facebook ’s algorithm actively “ nudges ” drug user into joining closed groups , let in those make for the discussion of certain aesculapian conditions . The ill further take that the party misleads drug user into believe the data they share in these radical will rest private and anon. . The letter from the lawmakers state that even policy companies may have access code to these groups and may have used this in camera disclosed information to make insurance decisions .
In a program line to Gizmodo , Facebook efficaciously blamed users for assuming its service concede them namelessness , even in such sensitive groups .
“ Facebook is not an anonymous platform ; genuine - name indistinguishability is at the center of the experience and always has been , ” a Facebook spokesperson told Gizmodo in an e-mail . “ It ’s intentionally unclouded to people that when they join any chemical group on Facebook , other members of that group can see that they are a part of that biotic community , and can see the posts they choose to deal with that biotic community . There is value in being able to recognize who you ’re having a conversation with in a group , and we look onward to briefing the citizens committee on this . ”
The committee save in its varsity letter to Facebook that it require the caller hold a briefing by March 1 of this year .
“ This consumer complaint raise a act of concerns about Facebook ’s privacy policies and practices , ” the committee leaders compose in the missive . “ Facebook ’s organization lack transparence as to how they are able to gather personal information and synthesize that info into suggestion of relevant medical condition backup group . Labeling these groups as closed or anonymous potentially misinform Facebook users into link up these groups and revealing more personal entropy than they otherwise would have . And Facebook may have failed to properly notify group members that their personal wellness information may have been access by wellness insurance companies and online bullies , among others . ”
What ’s evident in Facebook ’s affirmation regarding the former malicious gossip ( at the metre of pen this ) , is its total discharge of the belief that it can be an incognito space . Instead , it set the onus on its users to understand that even if a group is judge in a room that may seem anon. — the name has “ anon. ” in it and it is characterized as “ closed”—that they are the ace who ’ve misstepped .
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