Facebook Quizzes: Are they mining your personal information?

on July 15, 2009 - 11 Comments
Posted in: News

Hat tip to Bill and a commenter at the Comics I Don’t Understand website for the link to this PC World article entitled, The Hidden Secrets of Online Quizzes.

If you or your friends on Facebook are prone to sending out those crappy little quizzes such as “What Disney Princess are You?” or “Which Character from Harry Potter are you?”, you should read the article first. On the mildly annoying side, the companies that put these out might mine the data on your profile in order to direct market or email market you things they want to sell. Or they can force you to click “No Thanks” on ad after ad before you can find out that your personality matches up such that you should marry Steven Baldwin, and not Alec.

From the article:

Remember, even if you don’t directly input data, it can be passed along. Such is the case with Facebook, where just opening an application automatically grants its developer access to your entire profile. And don’t assume that the developer isn’t going to use the information within.

“The very intimate and detailed nature of the information featured on Facebook profiles makes such a database very valuable to marketers,” says Guillaume Lovet, a senior manager with security company Fortinet.

So before you start talking about your dog (hmmm isn’t “what is your pet’s name?” one of the secure questions they use to reset passwords) or your mom’s maiden name, maybe think again.

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Tags: Compatibility, Facebook, Marketing, MySpace, Personality Quiz, Phishing, Quizzes, Scam

11 Responses to “Facebook Quizzes: Are they mining your personal information?”

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Sheila Deeth

July 15, 2009 at 11:30 pm

Interesting point about the dog.

Reply
- bearmancartoons
  
  July 16, 2009 at 6:59 am
  
  Guess you are in the process of deleting everything.
  
  Reply
alantru

July 16, 2009 at 1:02 am

My dog’s name is Bobo Skediddledaddle. My mother’s maiden name was Shooprah. If I could be any Disney character it would be the cryogenically frozen head of Walt Disney.
http://foodhere.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/i-already-have-walt-disney%e2%80%99s-head-in-my-mini-bar/

Reply
- bearmancartoons
  
  July 16, 2009 at 7:00 am
  
  Most likely identity thieves will mispell your dogs name. ha ha
  
  Reply
fundamentaljelly

July 16, 2009 at 2:53 am

So, Ginger or Mary Ann??

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- bearmancartoons
  
  July 16, 2009 at 7:00 am
  
  Mrs Howell.
  
  Reply
bluntdelivery

July 16, 2009 at 5:19 pm

the moment you take a facebook quiz, you are deleted from my status updates.

its a tough world.

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- bearmancartoons
  
  July 16, 2009 at 6:35 pm
  
  EXACCCCTTTTLY!!
  
  Reply
G

July 17, 2009 at 5:19 am

I don’t do FB quizzes, applications, games, pass arounds, etc., etc. etc.

I simply connect with a few good friends and keep up to date with them during our incredibly busy lives (seriously, most of my friends work in government).

BTW: I’m on FB under my real name.

Reply
- bearmancartoons
  
  July 17, 2009 at 6:40 am
  
  It’s amazing how many people do though.
  
  Reply
Tony

March 20, 2010 at 8:11 am

Hmmm… Thanks Bearman, very thought provoking when you consider the sinister side of Facebook. :-/

Reply