I get it.

I get it. 

I get it. 

Facebook has the growth.  Facebook has the eyeballs. 

Facebook has the data.

More and more apps are looking access a users Facebook account.  I have no problem with that.  An individual is responsible for deciding what level of privacy and sharing they are comfortable with. 

Applications need/want access to our data so they can provide the best and relevant experience for users of their (usually free) services .

Leave my friends out of this!

Applications are looking to access more and more personal information and activity.

See the circled areas in the associated diagram.  I have whited out the application in this example and to be sure, there are more than one such application.  I worry because I actually do read what these pop-ups say.  I want to know what I’m giving applications access to and based on the value of the app, I decide if I want to grant such access.  From time to time I even go back and prune the list of applications that I have been access to my Facebook and Twitter accounts if I’m no longer using the app.

What I worry about are my less techy Facebook friends who are less likely to understand the implications of granting access to their Facebook account.  This was not something I used to lose sleep over, but given examples such as the one provided, I realize that we all should be concerned.  Using the example provided, if one of my Facebook friends accepts the request for permission the application can access my check-ins and my information.  It’s one thing for me as an individual to release control of my information. It’s quite another for my friends to be tricked into granting access to information I have “protected”.

Nothing put into a web browser is secure

Of course we know that nothing is secure on the Internet, but sometimes we need a reminder.  Let this example be your reminder today.