Dear avid Facebook users,
It is known that Facebook opens possibilities for anybody to write an app in their system. This is considered a security flaw. But, again, using the power of social networking, the essence of web 2.0, they are depending on their users to point out malicious software and have a strong dev team dedicated to monitor unusual apps.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10184319-83.html
"One of the problems is that Facebook allows anybody to write an application, and third-party applications are not vetted before they are made available to the public. So, even as Facebook stamps out one malignant application, it can pop up in another place like a poisoned mushroom with a different name," Cluley wrote.
"It sounds like this could be a new favoured trick being used by spammers and identity thieves to build up their databases of intended targets," he wrote. "My advice to Facebook users is to think very carefully before adding any new applications."
The problem prompted a Facebook user to create a Facebook group for victims of the scam, noted Trend Micro in its anti-malware blog.
The rogue app surfaced less than a week after the spread of a similar app dubbed "Error Check System" that falsely warned users that their friends were having problems viewing their profiles.
"Surely these two events in just a single week mean that it's about time that Facebook reviews its application hosting policy," the Trend Micro blog said.
What that quote suggests is akin to saying, 'there have been two robberies, we need to implement martial law in the city,'" said Facebook spokesman Axten. He noted that there are more than 660,000 developers and the "vast majority" of Facebook applications are not "nefarious."
The company makes it easy to be a Facebook developer--asking only for a valid e-mail address to get an application key--to foster innovation, and has a dedicated Developer Operations team that investigates applications that show "anomalous activity," Axten said.
"In this case, we responded quickly to user reports and disabled the application before too many people were affected," he said.
==
In another note, Facebook has also opened up it's terms of agreement to comment, something that even Google hasn't been able to do.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10173972-16.html
In a bold move, Facebook has "open sourced" its terms of service to allow users to help define them for the social-networking service.
Facebook has proposed a new set of Facebook Principles, as well as a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and is inviting users to comment upon them and thereby help to shape them.
==
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10173699-2.html
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 26 that, from now on, the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input.
If more than 7,000 people comment, the policy will be put to a vote, and the result "will be binding, if more than 30 percent of all active registered users vote."
Based on Facebook's current 175 million user base, that's nearly 53 million people, which makes it questionable whether the company will ever get sufficient voter turnout.
It is known that Facebook opens possibilities for anybody to write an app in their system. This is considered a security flaw. But, again, using the power of social networking, the essence of web 2.0, they are depending on their users to point out malicious software and have a strong dev team dedicated to monitor unusual apps.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10184319-83.html
"One of the problems is that Facebook allows anybody to write an application, and third-party applications are not vetted before they are made available to the public. So, even as Facebook stamps out one malignant application, it can pop up in another place like a poisoned mushroom with a different name," Cluley wrote.
"It sounds like this could be a new favoured trick being used by spammers and identity thieves to build up their databases of intended targets," he wrote. "My advice to Facebook users is to think very carefully before adding any new applications."
The problem prompted a Facebook user to create a Facebook group for victims of the scam, noted Trend Micro in its anti-malware blog.
The rogue app surfaced less than a week after the spread of a similar app dubbed "Error Check System" that falsely warned users that their friends were having problems viewing their profiles.
"Surely these two events in just a single week mean that it's about time that Facebook reviews its application hosting policy," the Trend Micro blog said.
What that quote suggests is akin to saying, 'there have been two robberies, we need to implement martial law in the city,'" said Facebook spokesman Axten. He noted that there are more than 660,000 developers and the "vast majority" of Facebook applications are not "nefarious."
The company makes it easy to be a Facebook developer--asking only for a valid e-mail address to get an application key--to foster innovation, and has a dedicated Developer Operations team that investigates applications that show "anomalous activity," Axten said.
"In this case, we responded quickly to user reports and disabled the application before too many people were affected," he said.
==
In another note, Facebook has also opened up it's terms of agreement to comment, something that even Google hasn't been able to do.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10173972-16.html
In a bold move, Facebook has "open sourced" its terms of service to allow users to help define them for the social-networking service.
Facebook has proposed a new set of Facebook Principles, as well as a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and is inviting users to comment upon them and thereby help to shape them.
==
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10173699-2.html
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on February 26 that, from now on, the company will post proposed changes to its terms of service and other policies for member input.
If more than 7,000 people comment, the policy will be put to a vote, and the result "will be binding, if more than 30 percent of all active registered users vote."
Based on Facebook's current 175 million user base, that's nearly 53 million people, which makes it questionable whether the company will ever get sufficient voter turnout.
Comments