Facebook Users File Class Action Lawsuit Complaint Against Facebook Over Alleged Use of Photographs and Likenesses To Advertise Facebook’s “Friend Finder” Service.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”” or “Defendant”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (styled Robyn Cohen, Shannon Stoller, Christopher Marshall, Bryan Siglock and Debra Lewin v. Facebook, Inc., Class Action Case No. CV 10-05282), alleging, among other things, that Facebook uses photographs and likenesses of Facebook users to advertise Facebook’s “Friend Finder” service without the knowledge or consent of users, according to the Facebook Friend Finder class action lawsuit complaint.
The Facebook Friend Finder class action lawsuit complaint is reportedly brought on behalf of the following putative classes of persons, unless otherwise excluded:
All Facebook users whose names, photographs and/or likenesses have been used without consent on Facebook.com for the purpose of advertising Facebook’s Friend Finder service, commencing November 22, 2006 and continuing through the date of the filing of the Class Action Complaint.
For more information on the Facebook Friend Finder class action lawsuit, read the Facebook Friend Finder class action lawsuit complaint.
If You Have Thoughts On The Facebook Friend Finder Class Action Lawsuit Complaint, Share Your Class Action Comments Below.
I really do not feel comfortable about using facebook anymore. It did not even let me open an account wihtout using my real name. At that time, the site was telling me that it is requesting to register the real name for security purpose, so I did. Now look at what happened – people are using someone else’s name such as famous people, etc. And, my photo is basically EVERYWHERE in the Internet. Where is my privacy? And, their new system is even telling everyone where I am right now…. the great system for stalkers. Now, it is affecting people’s safety life.
It is my understanding there is a class action suit filed against Facebook and Friend Finder, for privacy infringement and publishing user names and profile photos in advertisements.
I was surprised when a friend contacted me recently with a “screen shot” of a Friend Finder advertisement with my name and profile photo/image on it. I did not give my consent or authorization to use my personal data for advertising or endorsing this service. Futhermore, I am outraged that Facebook gives users so-called privacy controls, to prevent the use of our personal information in advertisements, or to be released to outside 3rd party sites, yet they continually disregard them and use it anyway. This is the case in my situation. It is a flagrant abuse of user privacy.
Something needs to be done to emphasize the importance of user privacy with Facebook. They do not have the right to infringe upon people’s private information for any reason. It’s unacceptable. In addition, I have a group on Facebook where users are being road blocked from accessing their accounts or from posting to groups unless they relinquish their credit card or cell phone number as a means of identification. This is a form of cyber-extortion to obtain personal data that could be used to charge a users credit card, or cell phone, that can be charged in lieu of a credit card.
The reason Facebook wants your mobile or cell phone number is obvious; where most people may not have a credit card, most everyone has a cell phone. The request for credit card or cell phone numbers began around the same time Target department stores started selling Facebook gift cards. Where Facebook fails to protect users from phishers, hackers and viruses, their quest for more of your personal information is a concern, as it could subject you to identity theft and fraudulent charges.
The latest attempt by Facebook to gather your personal data is when you log in and are directed to a screen asking for your cell phone number and other information. They claim this is needed to identify you in the event you have trouble logging into your account. Beware!
Facebook continues to ignore privacy concerns, while they constantly seek new ways to siphon personal information from users, because they stand to make millions for advertising purposes. It needs to stop!
In closing, I would like to bring to your attention the new profile page on Facebook, which asks for additional personal information from users, including their date of birth, city and state, employer and education. It has been suggested on the local news in my area that you should never give out your employer information or birthdate on the internet, because it puts you at risk for identity theft. Protect yourself. If you post your birthdate, make sure you hide the year, as this information can be used to obtain additional personal data about you by phishers and hackers. You should also make sure that you change your privacy controls to “friends only”, as you don’t want “everyone” on Facebook and the internet to get ahold of your private information, including posts and photos, that could also subject you to identity theft.
Since my last posting, there has been a new development that puts Facebook users at even greater risk. Apparently, third party application developers are now able to access your home address and mobile phone number.
This is an outrage! We should bring this to the attention of our elected officials and the FTC. Facebook is has crossed the line and it needs to stop!
As Facebook users are not asked for their home address, it is unclear how this information will be made available to them, although I would not dismiss the idea that this could be the latest addition to our profiles that Facebook will ask us for. They could also attempt to ask users for this information as a so-called means for “verification” like they have been doing when they ask for a users credit card or cell phone number (see my previous post about this). However, this is only a theory and mere speculation at this time.
Your address may also be obtained if you relinquished your credit card number or phone number to Facebook in their verification inquiry, or worse, through your email address, which is posted in your profile.
I suggest that all Facebook users take precautions to protect themselves and change the privacy settings on their Facebook accounts to hide their email address from phishers and hackers, by hiding it, and making it visable only to you. To do this, go to privacy settings and click on the selection next to your email address, then select “Custom” and “Only Me”.
It’s wise to change the privacy setting on your email address as a precaution to protect yourself. There was a recent news story about a hacker who obtained email addresses and other personal information on Facebook user accounts, then used it to hack into their personal email and stalk them.
For more information about third party developers gaining access to your home address and mobile phone number, I recommend you read the attached article: http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/01/16/rogue-facebook-apps-access-your-home-address-mobile-phone-number/
The lady who wrote the two previous comments is correct, when she talks about major privacy invasion by Facebook. She was also right on the money when in her prediction that Facebook would ask for our home address in our profile. Guess what I found on my profile page under “information” today? A new addition titled “contact information”. On this screen they ask for phone number and your home address.
Since when is it necessary for anyone to divulge every bit of personal information to Facebook, including our address? Just because they have dollar signs in their eyes and see each bit of private data as way to profit from it with advertisers, does not make it right. I refuse to give out ANY personal information about myself. It’s none of their business.
Wonder what Facebook will want from us next? Our blood type? Social Security Number? Medical history? Annual salary? Height? Weight? Rank? Serial Number? OK, it sounds ridiculous, but could the information Facebook wants from us now be any more invasive? Where does it end? They have no right to ask for any of it. Government, FTC and legal action against Facebook to stop the intrusion is long overdue!
Facebook is suppose to be a free social networking site, but it looks like they want users to pay a hefty price at the expense of giving up their private information. They are not entitled to extract this information from people, or to road block users from accessing their accounts until they give it up. This is unacceptable. I will leave Facebook if they continue to prod and harass us, as I’m sure many others will too. Maybe it’s time to go back to My Space. Surprising the media does not expose these underhanded tactics of Facebook, and the FTC and elected government officials have not stepped up to take action against Zuckerberg and Facebook for this. It is now apparent why Zuckerberg donated money to charities. He made this money by selling user privacy information to advertisers, and God knows who else, then made charitable donations to divert attention from what Facebook has been doing to users. An obvious smoke screen to hide underhanded invasive measures against it’s users. This is a major privacy concern.
I hope these people win this lawsuit against Facebook. The court should also rule that Facebook pays out a handsome settlement to each and every person, even those not named in the suit, that has had their name used in the Friend Finder ads, to endorse it without their permission, authorization or knowledge. Even advertisers have to pay people for using their names in commercials, and they have to get a signed legal document, or affidavit, as authorization for release of their information. Facebook should not be treated any differently, and be allowed to get away with it.
If there is anyone with political or media connections, or who has contact with the FTC, I hope they bring the information revealed in the posts of the people here, and in the article about this lawsuit, to their attention. Facebook should be exposed for the incredible privacy infringement of it’s users without their permission and be forced to stop.
Obviously, Facebook did not get the message when everyone was outraged over privacy concerns before, and many users threatened to leave their social networking site. Since that time their actions to invade user privacy has increased and is much worse. It’s underhanded and despicable.
I am filing a lawsuit against the web. It is not government nor corporations I fear, rather the 200 million fucking trolls out in these blogs and tweets that have hijacked the integrity of content on the internet.