Facebook is Up to Some Naughty Shenanigans

All i can say is that this is bad. Datronacon brought this to my attention a short while ago, I then read it, and am passing it on to you. Just think about what you "like" on websites or on Facebook. This is a new ad feature that appears to remove alot of privacy and freedom from the user to pad the pockets of companies that would use this "service." They call these sponsored stories. Basically if you were to "like" something from a vendor the example in the article was Starbucks then an ad shows up as a sponsored story and on your wall as if you typed it yourself. You can say ADS CAN SUCK IT and the post will say Omnivox says ADS CAN SUCK IT at Starbucks. To add insult to injury if someone wrote something negative about a product (as it is free to do) the vendor can delete that "sponsored"story so they don't look bad. The user has NO control and this simply will not do.

Irina states, "The unit will give brand-related action such as a "like" or a check-in a lot more visibility on Facebook by adding them to an ad unit in addition to users' news feeds.

For example, if Starbucks buys a "sponsored story" ad, the status of a user's friends who check into or "like" Starbucks will run twice: once in the user's news feed, and again as a paid ad for Starbucks. Though clearly marked with the words "sponsored story," the ad -- which will includes a user's name, just like the news feed -- is not optional for Facebook users."

and

"The way that the product is today, a check-in post will show up in the ad feed exactly as the user wrote it. So if a user checks into Starbucks with a "I hate this place, but it's the only coffee around" then that's exactly what the "ad" turns out to be.

Facebook is aware of this possibility, because people will be people, and it has left a "flag" button for "inappropriate content." Advertisers that don't want to take the chance of having negative sponsored stories pop up about them can limit their buys to likes. "As a marketer, you can say that I'm only going to do 'like' stories, since there is no way to change that," said Facebook marketing lead Jim Squire. "So you can figure out which is the best option for your organization.""

Please follow the link to adage.com to read more. I feel this is important for everyone to see and understand.

Even an Android Needs Protection

You may not realize it but even mobile phones can become infected with malware. Smart phones run on an actual OS that is very similar to a desktop computer or laptop which makes them vulnerable to the same type of attacks. One such attack is currently happening in China with Android powered phones. There is a sophisticated Trojan that has botnet-like capabilities that is being called "Geinimi".

This Trojan is being grafted into legitimate applications and then distributed in a third-party Chinese app market for Androids. According to the mobile security company Lookout, this trojan has not been found in any applications in the official Google Android Market. Below are some tips from Lookout on how to stay safe.

• Only download applications from trusted sources, such as reputable application markets. Remember to look at the developer name, reviews, and star ratings.
• Always check the permissions an app requests. Use common sense to ensure that the permissions an app requests match the features the app provides.
• Be aware that unusual behavior on your phone could be a sign that your phone is infected. Unusual behaviors include: unknown applications being installed without your knowledge, SMS messages being automatically sent to unknown recipients, or phone calls automatically being placed without you initiating them.
• Download a mobile security app for your phone that scans every app you download. Lookout users automatically receive protection against this Trojan.