Ever been in breach of your user policies? Well if you have, you'll know that judges don't take too kindly to infringing on other people's privacy-worse yet, it could amount to millions of dollars in restitution. And while they may seem like the protectors of all our dirty little secrets, leaked through to the internet, it turns out that FACEBOOK INC. is facing a class-action lawsuit of their own, accusing them of scanning users' messages.
US Federal District Judge Phyllis Hamilton announced on Tuesday, in owner Mark Zuckerberg's hometown of Oakland, California, that state-law claims against the media company would be dropped, but that Facebook would still have to face charges against what they did to their users. Though Facebook argued that the alleged scanning of users' private messaging conversations in search of information regarding private advertising was covered by an exception under federal acts, Hamilton denied Facebook's bid to dismiss the lawsuit and set a date where the case could further be discussed.
"[Facebook has] not offered a sufficient explanation of how the challenged practice falls within the ordinary course of its business" Hamilton said.
The lawsuit filed in 2013 by Facebook user Matthew Campbell alleges that Facebook scans the contents of private messages looking for links to other websites, which would then be used to deliver more target advertising to its users. And while according to Facebook, and Tuesday's court ruling, the company ceased this practice in October 2012, the company does not defend that they do not continue to search through private messages as a part of their everyday practices. The company claims that some analyses of messages continue, as a precaution, to better protect users against any spam and viruses that may be embedded in the content.
So where does the company draw the line in the sand? Many are left wondering, with so much private information left at the disposal of the company whether or not they might be capable of large-scale internet leaks or even recent celebrity outings. What do you think?
Share the link above and let your Facebook community decide whether or not they want their messages filtered through by Big Brother.... I mean FACEBOOK INC.
