Facebook 'Like' Button Declared Illegal In Germany

Foxrac

Foxrac

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BERLIN -- A German data protection authority is "unliking" Facebook's "Like" button.

The state of Schleswig-Holstein's data protection commissioner, Thilo Weichert, on Friday ordered state institutions to shut down the fan pages on the social networking site and remove the "Like" button from their websites, saying it leads to profiling that violates German and European law.

Facebook insisted Friday that is in full compliance with European data protection laws.

On Friday, Weichert issued a statement saying technical analysis by his office shows Facebook violated German and European data protection laws by passing content data to the social network's servers in the U.S.

"Whoever visits facebook.com or uses a plug-in must expect that he or she will be tracked by the company for two years," Weichert said. "Facebook builds a broad individual and for members even a personalized profile."

A Facebook spokesman conceded that the company can see "information such as the IP address" of users who visit a site with a "Like" button.

"We delete this technical data within 90 days," said the spokesman, who did not give his name in keeping with company policy. "That is in keeping with normal industry standards."

Weichert's office ordered website owners in Schleswig-Holstein to "immediately stop the passing on of user data to Facebook in the USA by deactivating the respective services" and threatened to take legal action if they fail to comply.

He also urged Internet users in general to "keep their fingers from clicking on social plug-ins" and "not set up a Facebook account" to avoid being profiled.

The keepers of Germany's strict privacy laws have repeatedly clashed on issues of privacy with international Internet giants, such as Facebook and Google – often with success.

Last year Google allowed Germans who opposed its Street View mapping system to blur images of their homes, while Facebook in January granted members more control over their email address books, after a dispute over its "Friend Finder" service.

Germany's latest spat with the Palo Alto, California-based Facebook also comes a week after a leading member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party in Schleswig-Holstein stepped down after admitting to having an affair with a 16-year-old he met over the social networking site.

Christian von Boetticher's resignation sparked a debate about the role of social media in politicians' lives, with German newspapers carrying reports from party members, angry that the state legislator spent more time posting personal information to Facebook than focusing on his job. He has since deleted his Facebook profile.
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Facebook 'Like' Button Declared Illegal In Germany

Fuck to government system in Germany!!!
 
This is interesting. I wouldn't go out to say "Fuck the German government" yet. I have plans on living in Germany pretty soon and will report back on how I like it.
 
Jiro said:
care to explain why because I'm confused by your response. Do you realize that the government is acting in best interest to protect people's privacy?
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I don't believe in government to regulate or censor on websites, except for extreme cases, especially child pornography, treason, terrorist, etc. The German government banning on like system for Facebook is too extreme and there are nothing to wrong with like system. I do like Facebook's like system and Facebook does have strong privacy.
 
Foxrac said:
I don't believe in government to regulate or censor on websites, except for extreme cases, especially child pornography, treason, terrorist, etc. The German government banning on like system for Facebook is too extreme and there are nothing to wrong with like system. I do like Facebook's like system and Facebook does have strong privacy.
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censor??? they are not censoring anything. did you even read the article?

Facebook insisted Friday that is in full compliance with European data protection laws.

On Friday, Weichert issued a statement saying technical analysis by his office shows Facebook violated German and European data protection laws by passing content data to the social network's servers in the U.S.

"Whoever visits facebook.com or uses a plug-in must expect that he or she will be tracked by the company for two years," Weichert said. "Facebook builds a broad individual and for members even a personalized profile."

A Facebook spokesman conceded that the company can see "information such as the IP address" of users who visit a site with a "Like" button.

"We delete this technical data within 90 days," said the spokesman, who did not give his name in keeping with company policy. "That is in keeping with normal industry standards."

Weichert's office ordered website owners in Schleswig-Holstein to "immediately stop the passing on of user data to Facebook in the USA by deactivating the respective services" and threatened to take legal action if they fail to comply.
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do you understand what's going on here? in America - our privacy protection law is COMICAL! Companies and anybody is free to share our information for profits and not even inform us about it.
 
Jiro said:
censor??? they are not censoring anything. did you even read the article?



do you understand what's going on here? in America - our privacy protection law is COMICAL! Companies and anybody is free to share our information for profits and not even inform us about it.
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My explanation about censor isn't only related to article but just general thing like Germany has censorship law for video games. Banning on Facebook's like system sounds censor to me, IMO.

Okay, I already know that America has weak privacy protection but I'm really don't care anymore because our system is already fucked up and no one (congress) want to change. I got too many junk mail and shred them away.
 
Foxrac said:
My explanation about censor isn't only related to article but just general thing like Germany has censorship law for video games. Banning on Facebook's like system sounds censor to me, IMO.

Okay, I already know that America has weak privacy protection but I'm really don't care anymore because our system is already fucked up and no one (congress) want to change. I got too many junk mail and shred them away.
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they are not banning "Like" system... they are saying Facebook's "Like" system is illegal because it violates the privacy law that protects people's privacy.

don't you think it's great that Germany has strict privacy law that protects people?
 
Jiro said:
they are not banning "Like" system... they are saying Facebook's "Like" system is illegal because it violates the privacy law that protects people's privacy.

don't you think it's great that Germany has strict privacy law that protects people?
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Ok, I understand.

Yes, it does great to have a strict privacy law and I do want to have a strict privacy law in America because I don't want any of junk mail and more BS...
 
You cant say "fuck Germany's law" unless you are a German citizen. How would you feel if a German who lives in Germany says "Fuck the 10 Amendments" when it has no effect on him/her?

However, this is interesting to learn.
 
shel90 said:
You cant say "fuck Germany's law" unless you are a German citizen. How would you feel if a German who lives in Germany says "Fuck the 10 Amendments" when it has no effect on him/her?

However, this is interesting to learn.
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Germany law does affect FB in US if same FB is used for most countries so I don't want German law to be influence on FB in US, unless creator of FB don't mind to make FB that designed for German only, especially without like system.

I don't think that like system on FB has effect on privacy, IMO.
 
Be careful when you read the headlines ONLY...

I agree 100% with Jiro.
 
Foxrac said:
Germany law does affect FB in US if same FB is used for most countries so I don't want German law to be influence on FB in US, unless creator of FB don't mind to make FB that designed for German only, especially without like system.

huh? no it doesn't work like that. It's very simple -

1. Germany is free to ban Facebook from its country
2. Facebook is free to simply disable "Like" function only for Germany

Look at Microsoft, McDonald, and thousands of other companies. Many of them are selling products slightly modified for each country. This is nothing new.

Foxrac said:
I don't think that like system on FB has effect on privacy, IMO.
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did you read the article carefully??? They keep record on people and monitor their usages. They sell/distribute your information to third parties. You have no privacy in Facebook.
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The like system is pretty bogus these days anyway. People manipulate it by asking others to 'like' them for contests, pages so they gain popularity, advertising, so on... it's hard to know if it is a honest like or not.

Without a dislike option, no one can really tell the percentage of people who don't like it or are against it.

Germany gets points for advocating against 'like' compared to the USA which is run amok with corruptness and dishonesty.
 
naisho said:
The like system is pretty bogus these days anyway. People manipulate it by asking others to 'like' them for contests, pages so they gain popularity, advertising, so on... it's hard to know if it is a honest like or not.

Without a dislike option, no one can really tell the percentage of people who don't like it or are against it.

Germany gets points for advocating against 'like' compared to the USA which is run amok with corruptness and dishonesty.
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There are only honest dislikes? :)

I wanna spam-like you.
 
Jiro said:
Foxrac said:
Germany law does affect FB in US if same FB is used for most countries so I don't want German law to be influence on FB in US, unless creator of FB don't mind to make FB that designed for German only, especially without like system.

huh? no it doesn't work like that. It's very simple -

1. Germany is free to ban Facebook from its country
2. Facebook is free to simply disable "Like" function only for Germany

Look at Microsoft, McDonald, and thousands of other companies. Many of them are selling products slightly modified for each country. This is nothing new.


did you read the article carefully??? They keep record on people and monitor their usages. They sell/distribute your information to third parties. You have no privacy in Facebook.
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How does they find my home address on FB if I hit like button?
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Jiro said:
your IP record, silly
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I doubt that companies collect IP address from FB and not all IP address will exact to show a home location, sometime, IP address could just locate the ISP is from, that it.
 
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