Facebook Conspiracy - True or Not True?

United States
March 5, 2008 2:58am CST
Hey guys, I wrote an article awhile back about the Facebook conspiracy. In my article I wrote facts on why it is true but truth be known, I'm not saying whether I really believe it to be true or not true. I'm really not too sure what to think. I would appreciate everyone's opinion on the matter though to see what they think? Here's the article: In todays world of advanced modern technology, there are billions of people that use the internet as a means of communication. Internet goes beyond social networking among friends and family but to a level beyond which we are aware. Accounts and billing can now be handled on-line from just about anywhere, job searches, text messaging in real time with friends. How can we guarantee that the information we send is safe and secure? It seems that the integrity of our safety and privacy is currently being questioned by millions of users of a website called Facebook. Facebook is a social network that is on the rise and climbing the popularity ladder fast. However, if one were to read the Terms of Conditions with more attention to detail would we still click "I Accpet" for those terms? Most people, it would seem, have the same habit of skimming the terms without actually paying attention. If, however, those terms were to be read, the person signing up for Facebook would find this, that your privacy and security are certainly anything but guranteed. Facebook was fathered by founder Mark Zuckerberg and received it's first federal funding of $500,000, from Peter Thiel who is the former CEO of paypal. So far all sounds innocent and harmless. Upon further research, we discover that Facebook's second federal funding for the amount of $12.7 million, was received from a venture capital firm otherwise known as Accel Partners. James Bryer, manager of Accel, is known to be the former chairman of the National Venture Capital Association. What does this mean so far? James Bryer served on teh board with Gilman Louie who is a CEO of In-Q-Tel. In-Q-Tel is a venture caplital that was founded by the CIA in 1999. The company's main area of intelligence just so happens to be data technologies. Delving deeper into investigation finds that Bryer was also a member of the board for R&D firm BBN Technologies. The importance of this? BBN Technologies is one of the father companies that can take credit for the rise of the internet itself. Another name that comes into play in this whole conspiracy is that of Dr. Anita Jones. She also joined the firm which, coincidentally enough, included Gilman Louie. Dr. Jones was also a member of In-Q-Tel. She was also previously the director of Defense Research and Engineering for the US Department of Defense. Another known fact is that Dr. Jones was the adviser for the Secretary of Defense and overseer for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (also known as the DARPA). The DARPA is responsible for high-tech, high-end development. What does this all mean? Let's put it this way, why is it that so many names that have to do with the CIA and In-Q-Tel are tied in with what is supposed to be a social networking website started for college students? It was a journalist who finally brought light to the situation of Facebook opening the public's eye to the concerns of it's information mining projects. Scarier still is that upon inspection of Facebook's terms of use, one finds the following: "by posting member content to any part of this website, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license to use, copy, perform, display, reformat, translate, excerpt, and distribute such information and content and prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other such works, such information and content, and to grand and authorize sub licenses of the foregoing." Beyond that, even more shocking yet is Facebook's privacy policy which goes on to state: "facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspaper, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the facebook service through the operation of the service (eg. photo tags) in order to provide you with more useful information and a more personalized experience. By using facebook you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States." Transferred to whom and how kind of them to take such consideration on behalf of our benefit to get so personal with us that they are willing to dig as deep down into our privacy as they can go. It seems that the government is capable of much more than we are aware of. Too many coincidences arise within Facebook to say that it is merely that. The Terms of Use clearly state themselves to you that you they are willing to crack the shell on your privacy and go beyond the extent that need be gone past just to personalize your experience. If a website were to professionally want to personalize your experience than perhaps they should let the user decide how much information they are willing to give. Let's give this "friendly" site a round of applause at the efforts though, shall we?
1 response
• United States
5 Mar 08
Sounds interesting. You did your homework on this one but people are too skeptical sometimes.
• United States
6 Mar 08
Hey thanks. Yes they are. That's okay though. I don't mind that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong. Happy posting.