3 posts tagged “social networking”
Lori Drew, a 49 year-old woman (and mother), has finally been indicted in the Megan Meier suicide case. According to the LA Times, she faces “three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl and one count of conspiracy.” As many of you remember, the authorities in Missouri could not find a statute under which to indict Lori Drew, but now, thankfully, the case has been handed over to federal prosecutors.
I am not a believer in policing internet activity, but I am a believer in preventing harassment, especially the kind that causes severe emotional distress. Lori Drew is a 49 year-old woman who had absolutely no business harassing a young girl on the internet, regardless of her motivation. I’m glad to see that she’s been indicted, and I hope this case becomes an example for future internet harassment cases.
When cases like the Meier suicide don’t get prosecuted, even when we know the identity of the assailant, it sends a message to victims of internet (and in-person) harassment that their pleas for help won’t get any attention when they come forward.
Facebook crossed a line with its new advertising program, and, apparently, I’m not the only person who thinks so. Other people are getting pretty angry and are starting to write about the frustration they are feeling because Facebook is owned by money grubbing whores.
Even with the changes they made as a result to the outcry, there is still no clear and easy way to opt out.
Facebook just unveiled their latest advertising program. This plan utilizes information from user’s profiles to display ads appropriate to their interests when they browse through their friend’s pages:
Additionally, Facebook has unveiled targeted advertisements that will allow marketers to target by any information inside Facebook profiles, from relationship status to favorite television shows.
This makes sense. Gmail utilizes a tool that skims through your inbox and displays appropriate in-line advertisements. Users are accustomed to this type of privacy invasion.
One thing about the new advertising program that irritates me is Facebook is essentially encouraging advertising companies to provide users with the tools to sell their product for them. Without paying any additional advertising fees:
