Is Facebook Your Friend?

Latest rumors circulating on the social network say otherwise ... but what's the truth?

We know, we know, you've heard it all before -- think twice before uploading your drunk pics from your last visit to Eighteenth Street Lounge. You never know who may see them or use them. But now Facebook users are posting on each other's Wall the rumor that Facebook has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures without permission.

On its site, Facebook plays defense: "In the past couple of days, a rumor has begun spreading that claims we have changed our policies for third-party advertisers and the use of your photos. These rumors are false, and we have made no such change in our advertising policies."

Turns out, the advertisements that inspired these rumors were not from Facebook, but placed there by third parties. The ads in question -- which misused profile photos and violated Facebook policies -- have already been removed.

In fact, Facebook recently banned two noncompliant ad networks from providing applications on the social networking site.

So, kids, moral of the story is that Facebook isn't the bad guy. It's just a really handy scapegoat, as usual. 'Cause Facbook won't always be able to stop those six-year-old frat party pictures from showing up in some ad on the Web. Don't you just hate the Internet sometimes?
 

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