back to article Facebook to encrypt user IDs to block 'inadvertent sharing'

Facebook has introduced plans to encrypt user IDs in a move seemingly designed to placate critics following recent privacy kerfuffles. The social network prohibits the sharing of user IDs with data brokers in its privacy policies. However, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that personally identifiable …

COMMENTS

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  1. Mike Cardwell

    DDG

    DuckDuckGo addressed a similar problem with information leakage through HTTP headers a few months back:

    https://secure.grepular.com/DuckDuckGo_Searches_Are_Not_Anonymous

  2. SuperTim

    eh?

    didn't they introduce a "choose your own username" thing a couple of years back? how is that going to work if they encrypt usernames?

    Not that i give a monkeys of course, I am not remotely interested in how "Cuuuuuuuute" your new kitten is, or even how badly you can spell your latest boring update!

    and if i see "lols" ever again it will be too soon!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      huh?

      LOL

    2. teebie

      eh^2?

      You would still see the right profile if you went to www.facebook.com/roflfunnycatslol, it's just that that user's farmville animals would have no idea that their user id is really 55378008.

  3. LawLessLessLaw
    Boffin

    Non-identifiable .....

    sending a hash of my username instead, thanks

  4. JaitcH
    WTF?

    The problem IS Facebook

    Facebook has handed over client data to advertisers so please explain how encryption will stop this abuse by Facebook?

    1. Tempest
      WTF?

      The answer to privacy is ...

      not placing information on the Internet in the first place!

  5. dssf

    Compressive or Comprehensive?

    "The social network said it wanted to work with the web standards community and browser vendors in developing a more compressive approach to tacking the issue."

    I have a funny feeling that "comprehensive approach" is the intended word -- unless this is a "bug" that is being "squished", hehehe...

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