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Facebook privacy concerns are on the rise, says consumer report

Oversharing and excessive data collection are growing concerns of Facebook users, a US consumer reports has claimed.

PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY concerned with their privacy on Facebook, according to a new consumer report.

The Consumer Reports study involved 2,002 online households including 1,340 Facebook users and, extrapolating the results to apply them to Facebook’s 188 million North American users, it identified the main causes for concern as:

  • Oversharing: a total of 4.8 million users have posted their plans for the day on the site – a behaviour that some say raises the risk of burglary
  • Not using privacy controls: over a quarter of users share their wall posts with an audience wider than their friends, according to the study – and 13 million users have never set privacy controls
  • Data collection: the site tracks users’ activity both on and off the site and even though Facebook insist it do not sell user information to advertisers, it has admitted that it plans to release more of the data it has collected on users – like IP addresses and facial recognition patterns
  • Harassment: there has been an increase in the number of users reporting a online harassment or hacking incidents – cyberbullying is also on the rise, according to the report

It seems that users concerned about their privacy are also trying to run rings around Facebook, with 25 per cent saying that they had falsified their information in order to protect their identity.

Read: Facebook share price values social network at up to $96 billion

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14 Comments
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    Mute Stephen Byrne
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    May 6th 2025, 4:17 PM

    It’s only the cost of 2 bicycle sheds or Simon and michweals salary the sad part is someone sanctioned he would continue to get the same salary when nama is finished why and more importantly who name this person and then sack him for sanctioning a salary for a job that doesn’t exist

    215
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    Mute Gavin Smartr
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    May 6th 2025, 3:17 PM

    In fairness to praise on this one. I would never have known about the government’s plans in he hadn’t highlighted it. Fair play.

    155
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    Mute Gavin Smartr
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    May 6th 2025, 3:17 PM

    @Gavin Smartr: in fairness to Pearse

    102
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    Mute Steve White
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    May 6th 2025, 3:59 PM

    @Gavin Smartr: Did the Irish Daily Mail have it first.

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    Mute Gavin Smartr
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    May 6th 2025, 4:30 PM

    @Steve White: probably did Steve but I definitely wouldn’t have seen it there.

    14
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    Mute Padraig O'Brien
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    May 6th 2025, 3:47 PM

    Does he do a job at all? I think we should be told!

    141
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    Mute David Connell
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    May 6th 2025, 3:26 PM

    €206 per hour for a 40 hour week. I’ll do the job for a quarter of that.

    114
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    May 6th 2025, 5:08 PM

    @David Connell: A lot of tax to come out of that don’t forget.

    3
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    Mute Mary Linton
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    May 6th 2025, 7:11 PM

    @Pat Barry: SO?? when I put €80 diesel in the car I don’t say ‘ oh, I put €44 euros in / the rest is just tax’

    41
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    Mute jn
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    May 6th 2025, 5:15 PM

    how many bank accounts have fffg and cronies got outside the state (diehard patriots)

    128
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    Mute Andrew Harrington
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    May 6th 2025, 6:17 PM

    Nobody needs to be paid that much money! It is absolutely obscene!

    48
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    Mute Paul O'Mahoney
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    May 6th 2025, 7:17 PM

    @Andrew Harrington: Why? People get paid what they are worth generally. 430k isn’t a huge salary given what achieved , and he might leave he’d easily find jobs paying more than that in the private sector.

    8
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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    May 6th 2025, 7:26 PM

    @Andrew Harrington: reality is when you put each individual TD’S cost to scrutiny from salary to expenses to a secretary parliamentary assistants (all family members) committee chairs postage phones and other perks they each cost roughly €350,000 to €400,000 not bad for most of whom are absolutely useless

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    Mute Leonard Barry
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    May 6th 2025, 9:31 PM

    @Paul O’Mahoney: I have heard that one many years ago where the CEO of British Telecom before privatisation received a huge salary increase and when it was questioned the excuse was that he would have received a lot more in the private sector particularly in the U.S. with his experience and qualifications. The BBC went along to recruitment agencies in the U.S. and these agencies more or less laughed when they saw his C.V. and politely informed them that people with his qualifications were 2 a penny in the U.S.

    14
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    Mute TheGood Feign
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    May 7th 2025, 4:15 PM

    @Paul O’Mahoney: lol it wasn’t hard to make money from NAMA but he did have to deal with a lot of irate developers in fairness. I agree that he could get at least this much in the private sector.
    The point is does he need to be paid that much to do the job he will do in NTMA? No. So now he has the choice, stay in a still well paid job and be comfortable or go for the big bucks in private sector. The state does not need him to be paid for NAMA skills in his old job! That was my understanding anyway.

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    Mute Jonathan Hanlon
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    May 6th 2025, 7:34 PM

    Like, why was he getting that at nama.

    26
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    Mute Paul Brown
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    May 6th 2025, 7:47 PM

    Which all means he’ll hold onto his salary

    23
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    Mute Toca Stories
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    May 6th 2025, 9:24 PM

    Watch this space, all the language is typical of political speak by FF and FG. I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if he retains that salary. It’s like the government has no power or control over these things….

    24
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    Mute Pauline Cahill
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    May 6th 2025, 7:59 PM

    No person is worth that salary from taxpayers money government rubbing irish people’s noses again there are some many people living on the breadline it’s an utter disgrace

    29
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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    May 6th 2025, 8:10 PM

    @Pauline Cahill: Check out the cost of every TD a complete joke

    14
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    Mute Paul O'Mahoney
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    May 6th 2025, 8:30 PM

    @Pauline Cahill: So what if there are people on the breadline a person’s salary didn’t cause people being on the breadline. This is typical, Irish begrudgery at its finest , “rubbing people’s nose in it,” another simpleton quote. If people who don’t want to be on the breadline work harder, educate yourself, and grow up and take responsibility for yourself and your life .

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    Mute William O leary
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    May 6th 2025, 10:25 PM

    the laugh is people think this is usual ..its standard procedure in the “public service”

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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    May 6th 2025, 8:55 PM

    It’s sickening.

    15
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    Mute den
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    May 6th 2025, 10:57 PM

    On the other article debunked the cost of cars for the Ukrainians, the cars still cost phucking just short of 40,000 a piece!!! And paid for insurance, tax and phucking fuel!!! What the phuck, I drive a banger, 16 years old, 50 miles a day commuting, over €80 a week for phucking diesel! How the phuck can I not get this phucking deal! Some phucking state we live in. And the government can’t understand why people are protesting??!

    12
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    Mute Nikki Swift
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    May 7th 2025, 12:57 AM

    @den: but den ya don’t understand you work hard and pay tax so why would ya be entitled to anything? It’s the poor people in this country that never worked a day in their lives and the folks that enter the country with no documents that need to be looked after, if my landlord decides to sell the house I’m living in for the past 15years decides to sell up I’m screwed even though I’ve never missed one months do ya think I’d be priorised over the low life that won’t pay 15euro a week out of their dol money for a roof over their head. In this country you’re probably better off not working but that’s me like most people I want to work even though every morning I wish I didn’t have to get out of the bed but once your ya enjoy it

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    Mute Nikki Swift
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    May 7th 2025, 1:17 AM

    @Nikki Swift: that’s not me

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    Mute den
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    May 7th 2025, 8:08 AM

    @Nikki Swift: too true Nikki

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    Mute Sean Walshe
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    May 21st 2025, 7:01 PM

    He looks like an overfeed ho..mo

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