Is there a more sinister aspect??

taffy056

Thing is HO87 social media has its place, I use Facebook simply to stay in contact with friends, I've worked all over the world and have friends in all parts, I use it and enjoy chatting to friends. If you use it just realise that whatever is on there is in the public domain, if you won't say it down the pub don't say it there. I also use Facebook for business which helps drum up new avenues for me.

NotanIdiot

Of course there a sinister element. Why does a democracy that has innocent until proven guilty a basic principle of justice need to maintain a database of its citizens, including holding there photos, there DNA and other information. Why does it need to employ a large organization to scan every single SMS message for keywords, listen to every phone conversation for keywords and require ISP's to track the internet browsing habits of its citizens. And lets not forget the CIA trawls social media sites with bots gather data on us.

A democracy doesn't need to do this, but its is indeed a characteristic of a Police State.

And I still want to know why my website was subject to a failed hack in the small hours of one night in 2006 from an IP block i traced back to the FBI headquarters at Quantico, Virginia.

Welsh_Exile

taffy056 wrote: »

Well everytime I close my browser it deletes all cookies, so they are not tracking me to much lol, as for facebook, I only put up there things that I want made public, of course nobody can search for me or see my wall etc unless they are my friends, unless my friends start taking screenshots of course

I am similarly careful.
There's a quote I read a while back (not sure where) that's appropriate "If you're getting something for free on the internet, you're not the customer, you're the product".

As for PPCs - is there any evidence they're doing anything with the data they hold other than sending out their invoices? And don't they have to get a DVLA check done every time they need RK details to make sure they are current ? Now, if they started consolidating and sharing data between each other...

Driver8

HO87 wrote: »

As much as I am concerned about the accumulation of data by people and organisations I wouldn't otherwise trust to give me all of my fingers back if I was ever to shake hands with them, I am well aware that it is often driven by the insatiable desire of accountants (who now run things) to quantify everything.

I do not have a FB account, nor do I partake of any social media because at the end of the day, IMO, they are inherently anti-social. And don't give me the guff about there being no time in the modern world for face to face contact. The only reason there is no time is because people have allowed themselves to be drawn in by the incessant crap on TV (the greatest weapon of mass distraction - ever), console games and... social media.

Above all of that, I am more concerned by other organisations that pass themselves off as being in some way official and attempt to exercise power over us that they simply do not have. PPC's are good examples of this but we shouldn't forget debt collectors and there are plenty of others that occupy the ooze at the bottom of society. And long may they stay there.

@ oohes - You are correct. However, the question that should be asked is why should these companies be entitled to any information whatsoever? PPC's rarely own their car parks and are "protecting" their own selfish objectives - which all too often boil down to parasitically making money off the back of other businesses - with little risk to themselves.

Instead of droning on about their dearest's latest bowel movements on FB or wherever some people would do well to understand where society now is and wake up to the fact that unless they appreciate and exercise their rights they will disappear. From that point of view the Protection of Freedoms Act does not protect anyone's freedoms. It simply gives them away.[/rant mode]

Couldn't have put it better myself.

What i would urge a lot of people to do is go to www.192.com and put your name and town in and see what comes up !

Send a fax to them and get your name and address and other details off there, it's a fraudsters charter.

Get rid of your store card and all other info grabbing crap, just wake up, that's all, wake up. Go on a supermarket website with your "loyalty" card and see what you've bought over the last year, go on, take a look. Why do you want a multinational company knowing that info?

When i google my name only one item comes up and i am going to get rid of that. Try your name.

For those that say, if you've done nothing wrong you've nothing to hide, you're sleepwalking idiots,

How many of you watched X Factor at the weekend? I rest my case and to the people who can't understand how the whole business model of a PPC works read the above.

People give far far too much personal information away on a whim, why?

taffy056

Well I am quite happy to use store cards like tesco, what does it show really? what you've bought over the last year, big deal! So i've bought 1000s in diesel, some sandwiches in the shop, and the weekly shop, what difference does it make if its on a database really? they may target some advertising at me, but its not that different untargeted mail.

If you think the world is out to get you I think you need therapy, my online activities for example are no secret, I don't really care that people know i'm welsh and from swansea, I only give information that I am comfortable with giving. By the way if you do use 192.com on my name, you'll get hundreds of hits, I have a very common name

Driver8

taffy056 wrote: »

Well I am quite happy to use store cards like tesco, what does it show really? what you've bought over the last year, big deal! So i've bought 1000s in diesel, some sandwiches in the shop, and the weekly shop, what difference does it make if its on a database really? they may target some advertising at me, but its not that different untargeted mail.

If you think the world is out to get you I think you need therapy, my online activities for example are no secret, I don't really care that people know i'm welsh and from swansea, I only give information that I am comfortable with giving. By the way if you do use 192.com on my name, you'll get hundreds of hits, I have a very common name

You're quite happy to give away your personal information to a plastic Tesco card are you?

Go back to sleep.

taffy056

Driver8 wrote: »

You're quite happy to give away your personal information to a plastic Tesco card are you?

Go back to sleep.

Why, don't you like a reasoned argument driver 8? I am not giving away anything personal to tesco apart from my name, address and what i'm buying in their shops, do you think its personal information that I bought a sandwich or tin of beans there?

NotanIdiot

taffy056 wrote: »

Well I am quite happy to use store cards like tesco, what does it show really? what you've bought over the last year, big deal! So i've bought 1000s in diesel, some sandwiches in the shop, and the weekly shop, what difference does it make if its on a database really? they may target some advertising at me, but its not that different untargeted mail.

If you think the world is out to get you I think you need therapy, my online activities for example are no secret, I don't really care that people know i'm welsh and from swansea, I only give information that I am comfortable with giving. By the way if you do use 192.com on my name, you'll get hundreds of hits, I have a very common name

But theres several points here.

First of all, the more of your personal information you give out, the more likely you become a target of identity theft.

Secondly, its not the business of a democracy to collect personal information about its citizens on a purely speculative basis. You privacy is one of the most valuable things you own, and you are a fool to watch it bleed away and do nothing. Ask any celebrity who wishes they had there privacy back and the papparazzi would leave them alone.

Thirdly, your personal data is your property, If anyone should make money for selling it, it should be you, not other companies you gave your information to for free.

People do not seem to understand the vast, huge torrent of personal data they give away about themselves is dangerous to them. If you, for example, are falsely labelled a pedophile, you will soon have a mob at your door if you have a Facebook page.where you gave away your personal data to a planetful of strangers. When Private Investigators want to track people down, the first place they start is Facebook. Burglars watch social media like Facebook to find people going on holiday, and then use Streeview to case the joint before entering it.

You privacy is priceless, do not throw it away, because you can never get it back. I am completely anonymous on the net, i never post anywhere in my real name or real email, and frequently use a VPN proxy to hide my IP and anonymise my net activities.

Driver8

taffy056 wrote: »

Why, don't you like a reasoned argument driver 8? I am not giving away anything personal to tesco apart from my name, address and what i'm buying in their shops, do you think its personal information that I bought a sandwich or tin of beans there?

Not giving away anything personal !

Read what you wrote !

I rest my case.

Go back to sleep.

taffy056

Driver8 wrote: »

Not giving away anything personal !

Read what you wrote !

I rest my case.

Go back to sleep.

Yes read what I wrote I'm comfortable with what information I share with tescos and other shops. I am fully aware what I share I don't you to tell what I should and should not do ! Besides every time you use a credit/debit card in a shop they can log what you buy, perhaps the next step is get rid of them as well ? I mean the big bad bogey men are after you