Details of 100m Facebook users collected and leaked

[arkitect]

The personal details of more than 100 million Facebook users have been harvested and published on the net.

Ron Bowles, an online security consultant, used a simple piece of code to collect the data from Facebook.

The list, which has been shared as a downloadable file, contains the URL of every searchable Facebook user's profile, their name and unique ID.

In a web post, Mr Bowles said he published the information to highlight privacy issues.

The file has spread rapidly across the net.

On the Pirate Bay, the world's biggest file-sharing website, the list was being distributed and downloaded by more than 1,000 users.

One user, going by the name of lusifer69, described the list as "awesome and a little terrifying".

In a statement to BBC News, Facebook said that the information in the list was already freely available online.

Link…
Storm in a teacup or a reall s**t storm?

 

[jav6454]

Sh*tstorm... facebook is the biggest waste of time ever.

 

[SlovakApple]

That's why I am not on Facebook. And I do not regret it at all.

 

[Abstract]

Now you're all going to find out that I'm a fan of Justin Bieber.

LOL.

 

[ravenvii]

Yet another item on my ever-growing list of why I ain't on Facebook.

 

[Jett0516]

where can I download the leaked link?

 

[spinnerlys]

where can I download the leaked link?

Have you read the article?

 

[notjustjay]

So.... public data was ... made public?

Where's the story? The fact that someone collected it into a nice tidy file?

 

[Jett0516]

Have you read the article?

Yes.

I was referring to the list that was posted on pirate bay.

 

[spinnerlys]

Yes.

I was referring to the list that was posted on pirate bay.

The article contains a screenshot, which should be hint enough. I found it.

Or do you have some connection problems?

 

[184550]

From my understanding from the Engadget article, the only information available to persons who download it is the same information any of ones friends could easily see; email, phone numbers, etc...

Not that big a deal.

 

[MacNut]

So.... public data was ... made public?

Where's the story? The fact that someone collected it into a nice tidy file?

The story is the fact that it is public to begin with. Facebook should not be selling data at all.

From my understanding from the Engadget article, the only information available to persons who download it is the same information any of ones friends could easily see; email, phone numbers, etc...

Not that big a deal.

So you have 100 million friends that you share your data with?

 

[notjustjay]

The story is the fact that it is public to begin with. Facebook should not be selling data at all.

From what I read in the article, it was just a collection of usernames and user IDs, and real names, all of which are generally part of having a Facebook account to begin with. YouTube, Twitter, they also have usernames, userIDs, and often real names linked to the accounts, too...

I could even do the same with MacRumors.

Username: MacNut, account ID, 3249, location, CT.

Have I breached your privacy?

 

[MacNut]

From what I read in the article, it was just a collection of usernames and user IDs, and real names, all of which are generally part of having a Facebook account to begin with. YouTube, Twitter, they also have usernames, userIDs, and often real names linked to the accounts, too...

I could even do the same with MacRumors.

Username: MacNut, account ID, 3249, location, CT.

Have I breached your privacy?

If you publish my email address yes, I can choose not to publish my email.

 

[Ttownbeast]

If you publish my email address yes, I can choose not to publish my email.

If you have an e-mail and use it it's already out there man the only privacy you have is when you switch off the computer. Believe it or not junk mail existed before the internet did some people just get more offended and take it more personally receiving an email than they did getting some random coupon book in the real mail.

Guess what, I have the information on 300million real world addresses in the US and numbers all of them are legal to publish--it's called a phone book.

You really want privacy? then close your blinds--you can be anything you want here.

 

[QCassidy352]

The story is the fact that it is public to begin with. Facebook should not be selling data at all.

And if you believe that, I've got TWO bridges in Brooklyn to sell you!

Left FB a few months ago and am so glad I did.

 

[Ttownbeast]

Sue facebook then and see how far any of you get. If you somehow win then sue the yellow pages because if you manged to win you have set a legal president. cool I think I have some new fodder for next weeks comic strip

 

[CorvusCamenarum]

Maybe I can get some new Farmville neighbors out of this.

 

[.Andy]

Thank goodness the journalist included the insight of lusifer69.

 

[184550]

So you have 100 million friends that you share your data with?

Of course not but I'm not going to get bent out of shape if I get an unsolicited phone call or email for a hundred cases of Free* Viagra...

 

[Jaro65]

Maybe I can get some new Farmville neighbors out of this.

LOL! I eliminated a few of my former Facebook connections after they started spewing those Farmville updates.

Why is it that we see so much negative information in regards to Facebook? I don't recall anything similar related to MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc. Is it just a really lousy management?

 

[R94N]

I am on the verge of leaving, and have been for a long time ever since I heard Leo Laporte talking about it. I think I might leave now because of this. It's a waste of time, and all of my 'friends' just waste time liking stupid phrases and groups for no apparent reason. And all Facebook wants is your details anyway. I wish I'd never joined to start with

Why is it that we see so much negative information in regards to Facebook? I don't recall anything similar related to MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc. Is it just a really lousy management?

It might be, or it could just be that the media are on their backs because of the info leaks in the past. Also, Facebook has the most users, so it's bound to attract more attention.

 

[Ttownbeast]

LOL! I eliminated a few of my former Facebook connections after they started spewing those Farmville updates.

Why is it that we see so much negative information in regards to Facebook? I don't recall anything similar related to MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc. Is it just a really lousy management?

Tagged was accused of problems with privacy issues a few months back but seems the short attention span of the web community has swept that one away--Tagged is still around. Myspace had similar issues years back--Myspace is still around. Classmates.com has also gotten complaints about privacy issues now among other things. Yearbook caught a little as well. This whole Facebook issue is not unique and will likely be forgotten in a few months too. The ADHD riddled digital masses will forget once again and move on to another one to complain about.

No one joins a "social network" for privacy so complaining about what you publish being read by complete strangers is not a privacy matter.

 

[Abstract]

I have all that info for strangers to see. I don't allow much to be viewed, but that information is there.

This reminds me of the time when people complained that Google Maps invaded privacy because people can see their house. Next, people complained about Street View, but I didn't understand the reason for it. If I drove past your house, I could see it. It would still be an anonymous house to me, but yes, I could see it from the front.


FaceBook is as anonymous as has ever been to me. People can see the basic part of my profile if they wanted to find me, or while perusing random profiles on FaceBook. It just happens to be in a text file right now instead of a website. No big deal.

 

[zblaxberg]

The file only has information that users make available. It's your own darn fault if you didn't set your privacy settings.