Is Facebook Evil? privacy leaks, data flows and conspiracy theories

Should we care about privacy? Much privacy talk can come across as anachronistic bourgeois individualism, seemingly getting in the way of what social networking is all about: the flow of information - sharing and multiplying social connections between users.

So when a recent report by Sophos security highlighted that facebook’s privacy practices remain suspect, both in terms of its default settings and common member behaviour, will it affect the average fb member?

Filed under: technology, thought , capitalism, facebook, privacy, surveillance

The Shock Doctrine

Whatever you may think of the academic credentials of Naomi Klein, her work reaches a ‘mass’ audience. Although, as with semiotics being appropriated by ‘Saatchi & Saatchi’ et al, No Logo is similarly being taken up by the ubiquitous branding industry.

Her latest work The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is being virally promoted to great effect, especially via a short documentary directed by Jonás Cuarón (of Children of Men) accompanying the book.

Filed under: politics , capitalism