Lawsuit Against Facebook Over "Like" Button
It looks as though the “Like” button is generating some legal buzz that Facebook isn’t clicking the “Like” button on.
Thomson Reuters reported that a group of internet users based out of California are suing Facebook over the supposed activity behind the “Like” button. These users believe that this is Facebook’s way of tracking their information regardless of whether they have clicked the button or are current members of Facebook. The suit claims that Facebook discreetly sells the information for marketing purposes. Of course this will not go without a fight back from Facebook who claims that the suit has no merit.
Apparently, avid internet users have come forward revealing that the “Like” button which is on millions of websites with hundreds of thousands adding it every day leaves a distinctive type of cookie file on the computer’s hard drive. Though it is unclear as to whether the cookie is for tracking purposes, this is part of the basis for the lawsuit.
There have always been all kinds of speculation as to whether or not the internet tracks and spies on people. There could be credence to this theory, then again there might not be.
Let’s suppose for a minute that Facebook is actually illegally tracking the goings on and such of its users and non-users. This would be one of the biggest violations of privacy out there and from an entity as big as Facebook is, the hurt would be felt worldwide.
It is my opinion that people have choices as to whether or not they choose to incorporate Facebook into their internet surfing outside of the Facebook platform. I’m sure that people know if they “Like” something, it will be shared on their wall and as a result of that “Like” they will be marketed to. It is a machine that corporate America has set into motion; in order for it to be successful, people will follow or not it if they so choose.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati