Abstract:     
Numerous websites have implemented the Facebook Like button to let Facebook members share their interests, therewith promoting websites or news items. It is, thus, an important business tool for content providers. However, this article shows that the tool is also used to place cookies on the user’s computer, regardless whether a user actually uses the button when visiting a website. As an alternative business model this allows Facebook to track and trace users and to process their data. It appears that non-Facebook members can also be traced via the Like button. This means that Facebook’s tentacles reach far beyond their own platform and members. Due to the extensive web coverage with Like buttons, Facebook has a potential connection with all web users. Web activity can be linked to individual accounts or a separate data set can be created for individuals who are not (yet) a Facebook member. The hidden collection of data on browsing behavior and the creation of individual data sets has implications for the privacy of individuals. This article discusses privacy issues arising from third party cookie use and connectivity of web activity and devices, using the technical process behind the Facebook Like button as an example.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 10

Keywords: Facebook, Like button, Cookies, Profiling, privacy, Data protection

JEL Classification: K00, K10, K30

working papers series

From the PDF...

"A (small but important) difference with the Like button is that there can at least be supposed to be some link to Twitter, because the web user has visited this web site. For Facebook, this is not necessary at all. This implies that individuals who consciously choose not to participate in Facebook are still tracked and traced by Facebook. When someone does not connect to Facebook himself, Facebook makes the connection."

"Another important difference is that Facebook can connect the browsing behaviour to member accounts. These accounts are, usually, quite rich concerning disclosed information, but the Like button as exploited by Facebook makes that far more information is collected about individual members then the information disclosed on the personal profile page. Thus, people who have an account, but do not want to disclose that much information are still profiled more extensively. Their browsing behavior discloses much information concerning personal interests, and this information can also be collected by Facebook and connected to the individual account. In the end, consciousness in disclosing information, either by not participating on Facebook or by very limited disclosure of personal information, is not sufficient to escape Facebook’s tentacles."

"That data are transferred even when the button is not clicked upon is difficult to imagine for the ordinary web user. In addition, web users who have no connection with Facebook at all do certainly not expect to have their data transferred to this social network site. As a result, individuals who consciously choose not to participate in the social network site are still connected to this web site."

Oh, and by the way, clearing your cookies doesn't work. Just go read it. XD

Singaporean Street Artist Arrested for Vandalism

A Singaporean street artist has been identified by authorities as a vandal and arrested. If convicted, she could receive up to three years' imprisonment or a S$2000 (approx. USD1553) fine.

Over the past month or so, stickers began appearing on traffic lights, buildings and vehicles. The simple, round black-and-white designs carried slogans like "no need to press so many times," "press once can already," and "so kancheong for what," (translation: "why in such a hurry"), familiar phrases to any resident of Singapore and speaker of Singlish, a popular Singaporean creole.

Photos of the words "My Grandfather Road" spray painted at road crossing were also circulated.

The phrase refers to a common saying in Singaporean culture; when a pedestrian crosses a road particularly slowly, or jaywalks, drivers often yell, "Hey, your grandfather road ah?" implying that the pedestrian is acting as if he or she owns the road.

These pieces of street art that intrigued, amused and entertained many Singaporeans were the work of an artist who calls herself SKL0, who shares her designs for free on her blog.

Officers from the Central Police Division and the Police Intelligence Department investigated and identified SKL0 after the Land Transport Authority reported the spray-painted words and stickers.

In Singapore, vandalism is seen as a serious offence. In 2010 Swiss national Oliver Fricker was convicted of vandalism after he spray-painted a Mass Rapid Transit train. Fricker was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and five strokes of the cane. When he appealed his sentence, his jail term was increased to seven months.

Even if convicted, SKL0 will not receive caning as corporal punishment is prohibited for women.

Upon hearing the news, Singaporeans began tweeting with the hashtags #freeskl0 and #freestickerlady to protest the authorities' action, identifying SKL0 as an artist rather than a vandal.

"The authorities must understand, if #freestickerlady is convicted, a part of Singapore culture dies along with it," tweets Pat Law. "How is Singapore's culture supposed to grow creatively because of fear?"

"It seems you can only create art within boundaries in #Singapore. I see no harm done. PRESS NO CHARGES!" Rafi Dean adds.

Although SKL0 is still under investigation and no charges have yet been laid, the fact that she has been arrested at all has angered many who see it as a stifling of artistic expression, and hypocrisy on the side of a government that has often spoken of promoting arts and culture.

Ironically, Singapore was recently designated as the ASEAN City for Culture for 2012 -2013 at the fifth Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and the Arts.

Soooooo. I live in a crazy place. Luckily for me, only for 32 more days. That being said, this is *insane*.

The stuff this girly did was very funny, and made everyone I knew smile. Not to mention, in Singapore's repressive society, what she did was also incredibly daring (and not a little foolish).

She could be jailed for up to three years and fined too.

...meanwhile, more recently, a millionaire totaled his Ferrari, and killed 3 other people, one of whom was a hapless Japanese tourist, and himself. A foreign bus driver ran down an 18 or 19-year-old student, and got a mere 2 weeks jail and a fine. But my government wants to jail this brave, smart, funny and creative woman. The rules you see, differ depending on who you are.

I don't know this girly at all, but I would like to ask my tiny mcnugget box of readers to consider signing this petition on her behalf.

http://www.change.org/petitions/mica-review-sentence-of-skl0-arts-censorship-...

Dat is all.

Tankoo!

Click da link. You want to. Yes, yes you do.

Artists from all over the world share their sketches daily - lots of exotic shinies to see.

Business Class: Freemium for News?

by Oliver Reichenstein

I had a perspective-changing talk on the subject of pay walls with the chief executive of a big publishing company (no, I can’t tell you who). He asked me what I think about pay walls. I told him what I always say: The main currency of news sites is attention not dollars, and that I believe that it is the publisher’s job to turn that attention into money, to keep the attention machine running. He nodded and made the following, astonishing statement:

“I can’t see pay walls working out either. But we need to do something before we lose all of our current subscribers. Sure. It’s a tough business environment, but… But the flight industry is a tough environment too, and they found ways. So tell me: Why do people fly Business Class? In the end, an airplane brings me to the same place regardless of whether I fly Economy or Business Class, and the massive price-increase I pay doesn’t compare the difference in value.”

He asked whether I knew of a way to apply this logic to online news. What would a Business Class news site look like?

“People pay for Business Class because they don’t want to be tortured in Economy. They get faster lanes at the security check. They get an extra glass of champagne. The stewards are more attentive. They get off the plane more quickly. They get the feeling of a higher social status.”

And he added that he wished that there was a way to lead each reader through to Economy again, to again show what they avoided by being in Business Class.

Interesting take on paid subscriptions for news.

I must confess, I'm one of those people who will not get a subscription even for news content I tend to like. NYT is the one that comes to mind. I find I like most of their articles, but ever since they put in the article cap (but still allowed users who were *linked* to their content to see said content), I simply Google every article I'm interested in, and find the 'back door' to see the content.

If they had a real distinction between economy and 'premium' though, I might just stop using Google as a back door.

Oh, and of course, they would have to properly convince me of the premium experience. Right now, for NYT, it just isn't coming through.

The user doesn’t come out of nowhere. We don’t land on your page and then head happily to those social networks to promote you, just because you have a button on your site. We find content through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest etc., not the other way around.

• Whoever uses social networks to find content, usually begins the web journey there and goes back naturally. We don’t need to be reminded of what network we use on the way. We know. We came from there.
• For those who don’t use social networks the social media buttons are completely useless.
• If readers are too lazy to copy and paste the URL, and write a few words about your content, then it is not because you lack these magical buttons.

Some people probably do use those buttons. Maybe even a lot of people. And maybe you do and think I’m dead wrong about this. Maybe I am. And maybe someone needs to do some serious research to know for sure. I won’t deny all that. What I know for sure is that most people who know how to use social media also know how to share URLs:

“We removed FB buttons and traffic from Facebook increased. Reason: instead of ‘liking’ articles, readers share it on their timeline.” —@smashingmag

If you provide excellent content, social media users will take the time to read and talk about it in their networks. That’s what you really want. You don’t want a cheap thumbs up, you want your readers to talk about your content with their own voice.

This is too true!

In fact, although I have a Pinterest account, I do NOT use 'pin it' buttons. Ever. For some reason I am convinced that using the bookmarklet app gives me more control of exactly what goes on my Pinterest.

...now I'm wondering how that applies to other social networks, and other people.

Article also includes some disturbing info on what Those Cursed Bahtuns may be doing to your site.

More thoughts after discussion with a colleague:
Even if incoming traffic rises when buttons are removed... how do we (as webfolk) track and attribute the traffic sources?

Sure, if you've plonked banners all over the place, you recognise where *that* traffic was from. But stuff that people are sharing all by themselves over their own social networks?

When a user pokes a button on your site, you know about it.

When a user does what I've done here, which is to quote and provide a link back to the shinies... you, as site owner who wants to know, you have no clue what I've done.

And short of going through EVERY unfamiliar referring link to see where it came from... you'll never get those numbers. You'll never be able to track what people are doing / have done with your content.

Conclusion:
The buttons are there because without things to count, beansuits get twitchy.

Well now, that's depressing. XD

All the above being said, this is incredibly funny (don't click if you have epilepsy, and yes I'm serious).

Another interesting take on it. Text and safe for epileptics.