[Business] Social Media Investigations

[Hyve]

Yes I understand the legalize, and kind of second guessed my post. I know it explicitly doesn't forbid this, and doesn't explicitly allow it either. That's the vague part. My only point there is no evidence of this happening that I can find. Maybe it does, and maybe it doesn't.

OP posted a link as evidence that was only about employers asking for applicants log in. Not the same.

First OP was just with a random company who has inside access to facebook profiles. Can't say more...NDA. Then "i'm being subtle...we are an affiliate, wink wink." He wanted us to be warned that ANYONE is at risk...now it's only specials companies that nebulously fall under one paragraph of the privacy policy. Which one is it?

Can walmart just call up Mark and ask for my profile? Can AMR? or GM?

I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're getting at.

My company can access them because we're an affiliate, at least that is how Facebook gets around the process of explaining it and allowing it. The NDA I described doesn't apply to me telling you we're an affiliate, as you could come across our adverts on Facebook right now, and then put the two and two together and know, which could then lead you to know it is possible for me to access profiles.

Am I missing something from your argument?

[Tradewind]

...And receive more than my name, gender, username, and email address?

What's the difference between an employer checking your facebook wall as opposed to having your school transcript pulled. Something they are equally entitled to do.

[Rukentuts]

What's the difference between an employer checking your facebook wall as opposed to having your school transcript pulled. Something they are equally entitled to do.

The school will actually request permission.

This is why in my experience, they just asked me for a photocopy of it; less of a hassle.

[Hyve]

The school will actually request permission.

Do they? I thought it wasn't required for a school to let you know, or ask for your permission to do so.

[Rukentuts]

Do they? I thought it wasn't required for a school to let you know, or ask for your permission to do so.

It is in the USA. Remember the hoopla about Obama's transcripts?

[poser765]

The answer is "if they do any kind of business with Facebook directly, which would allow them to classify themselves as an "affiliate", then yes".

Exactly what determines that isn't really defined, and that's likely for the same reason that the specific uses aren't really defined; it allows Facebook and their affiliates a great deal of breadth within which they can freely act without crossing any legal lines.

Companies want to be as vague as they possible can be in these things, because the law is a blacklist, not a whitelist; unless something is specifically forbidden, it's assumed to be allowed.

We are gently approaching tin foil hat levels. Not rapidly...gently. do you remember all the outcry when it became common knowledge that employers check up on applicants on facebook? Christ people were screaming bloody murder. Can you imagine the frothing at the mouth that would ensue if it was leaked that a non affiliated company could get a hole of ALL my facebook history simply by asking? Hell OP admits that minions are doing the work with the information, so it's not a closely guarded secret. Shit like this would be all over the news. I've been googling since I came to this thread and I've found dick on it.

[Tradewind]

The school will actually request permission.

This is why in my experience, they just asked me for a photocopy of it.

I guess for an official printed transcript, but the school doesn't have to have your permission to tell an employer whether or not you attended or graduated etc. Typically you grant that permission as part of the application process with an employer, you give consent for background checks etc. if not for any other reason than confirming information on an application.

You can't just ring them up and say "hey did Rukentuts fail Home Economics or Baseball?" But you do grant permission when applying for them to at the least confirm the information. I'm sure there's some sort of hand-off of forms etc. to verify the credentials of the employer.

[Hyve]

We are gently approaching tin foil hat levels. Not rapidly...gently. do you remember all the outcry when it became common knowledge that employers check up on applicants on facebook? Christ people were screaming bloody murder. Can you imagine the frothing at the mouth that would ensue if it was leaked that a non affiliated company could get a hole of ALL my facebook history simply by asking? Hell OP admits that minions are doing the work with the information, so it's not a closely guarded secret. Shit like this would be all over the news. I've been googling since I came to this thread and I've found dick on it.

The companies we outsource the work to are tied to our company legally, through various contracts. If Facebook had any objection to us passing the information on to other third-parties, I am sure they would let us know. Our own policies allow us to submit all data we collect to third-parties for various reasons, one of which is for processing and research.

As you said yourself; "Can you imagine the frothing at the mouth that would ensue if it was leaked that a non affiliated company could get a hole of ALL my facebook history simply by asking?"

But that isn't the case. I'm sorry if I made it seem like that at the start, but that isn't the case at all. You can't just come along, say you're a company then ask for all the information from someones account. If I made it seem like that, then I do apologise for it.

---------- Post added 2013-01-28 at 09:20 PM ----------

It is in the USA. Remember the hoopla about Obama's transcripts?

I thought perhaps as the President there was an extra level of security of some sort.

[poser765]

I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're getting at.

My company can access them because we're an affiliate, at least that is how Facebook gets around the process of explaining it and allowing it. The NDA I described doesn't apply to me telling you we're an affiliate, as you could come across our adverts on Facebook right now, and then put the two and two together and know, which could then lead you to know it is possible for me to access profiles.

Am I missing something from your argument?

Your first post was to tell us that companies do this. then you admit you are part of a very small percentage of AFFILIATED companies. You claimed that all you had to do was go through a lengthy process verifying you are a business to get all my non public facebook information. Then later you came out and said you are an affiliate, which probably has it's own terms in place for sharing of user information.

[Hyve]

Your first post was to tell us that companies do this. then you admit you are part of a very small percentage of AFFILIATED companies. You claimed that all you had to do was go through a lengthy process verifying you are a business to get all my non public facebook information. Then later you came out and said you are an affiliate, which probably has it's own terms in place for sharing of user information.

Yes, I still don't see where the issue is.

You need to verify your account with a lot of data for various situations. You can't just stick an advert on Facebook for $40 for no reason, otherwise it would be riddled with Viagra adverts.

[Reeve]

You are the COO of a company and you pay people below you just to check to make sure you can spell and use grammar correctly? What an amazing Operations Manager.

I used to work for a VP in my company (I still do, but a different one) where I would have to check his spelling and grammar before he sent out any communications.

[Rukentuts]

I guess for an official printed transcript, but the school doesn't have to have your permission to tell an employer whether or not you attended or graduated etc. Typically you grant that permission as part of the application process with an employer, you give consent for background checks etc. if not for any other reason than confirming information on an application.

You can't just ring them up and say "hey did Rukentuts fail Home Economics or Baseball?" But you do grant permission when applying for them to at the least confirm the information. I'm sure there's some sort of hand-off of forms etc. to verify the credentials of the employer.

Well in that case you are correct, they can tell them I was there between Year X and Year Y and that I graduated in Major Z. But from what I remember not much more than that.

[Tradewind]

I used to work for a VP in my company (I still do, but a different one) where I would have to check his spelling and grammar before he sent out any communications.

lol as the IT Admin, one of my jobs is mass mailouts and merges for our people who are inept. I spell check and grammar check for everyone, from the CEO down to the Receptionist. Scary thought since my grammar is terrible.

[poser765]

But that isn't the case. I'm sorry if I made it seem like that at the start, but that isn't the case at all. You can't just come along, say you're a company then ask for all the information from someones account. If I made it seem like that, then I do apologise for it.[COLOR="red"]

That's my problem with this thread. That's exactly what you were doing for the first something like 7 pages of this thread until people started seriously discussing the privilages and limitations of "affiliates." Then magically you are an affiliate. I may be totally wrong, and I'm sorry if I am but I just feel funny about your story. It just seem right.

[Rukentuts]

I thought perhaps as the President there was an extra level of security of some sort.

Nope, official transcripts are private for every student in the USA. See my last reply to Tradewind.

[smelltheglove]

You need to verify your account with a lot of data for various situations. You can't just stick an advert on Facebook for $40 for no reason, otherwise it would be riddled with Viagra adverts.

i wonder what FB does with said data. you dont suppose another affiliate has access to it do you?

[Tradewind]

That's my problem with this thread. That's exactly what you were doing for the first something like 7 pages of this thread until people started seriously discussing the privilages and limitations of "affiliates." Then magically you are an affiliate. I may be totally wrong, and I'm sorry if I am but I just feel funny about your story. It just seem right.

It might be something to do with people like Gamdwelf dropping lawsuits and shit.

[Hyve]

That's my problem with this thread. That's exactly what you were doing for the first something like 7 pages of this thread until people started seriously discussing the privilages and limitations of "affiliates." Then magically you are an affiliate. I may be totally wrong, and I'm sorry if I am but I just feel funny about your story. It just seem right.

I've admitted I may not have clearly communicated exactly the situation. I can't just come out with the whole story in one post, I don't recall the whole situation and as people ask questions the story unfolds.

Hopefully you can see more clearly what I meant from the start. Is there something that you're still not sure about?

[fooliuscaesar13]

The only real problem that I see with it is that it cause a business owner to choose to not hire someone based on viewpoints posted in social media that a business owner / interviewer is *not allowed* to ask about in an interview. Also, if it is private information that you only want friends and family to see, what right does an employer have to know those things?
Now, if it is a job where reputation and outward appearance make/break a job...ok, I get it. But every employer out there shouldn't be able to, legally, submit information requests to social media about a potential employee. I'd agree to it in a heartbeat, though, if I could see the owners social media accounts. If an owner needs to know all about me that they feel they need to, I should get that in return.

[Hyve]

I used to work for a VP in my company (I still do, but a different one) where I would have to check his spelling and grammar before he sent out any communications.

Just goes to show that people have no idea how the real business world works, and they just go off what they read in the news, or see on TV.