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Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com

21–30 of 145 posts

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#21

The instagram TOS debacle some weeks ago was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I recently stopped using Instagram, and requested account deletion from Facebook. Graph search and its creepy implications were then nothing I needed to find personally objectionable anymore. I no longer have to complain about the other sleazy, move-the-goalposts, amoral aspects of Facebook Instagram. This latest one, I have to…

I have friends who work at Facebook. I still don't know how they rationalize their employment.

I don't know about them, but I know someone from a different company who has it all figured out. Every time their company does something nasty, they just donate to the EFF.

Must be nice to have it wrapped up all tidy like.

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#22
post #11

I hate to play the paranoia card, but this reads like a push from the government for Facebook to start cataloging people. If it wasn't happening already, this is probably the missing piece in court evidence to show that a person is who they really are. This is really, really dangerous (especially when the majority of their users probably aren't bright enough to understand the implications).

Since they tell you to cover up your license number, it's hard to see how it would be particularly helpful for cataloging.

I'm thinking of a visual catalog. Where if I commit a crime and Facebook can be used as evidence, if one of my photos is my license, it guarantees that it's me. Maybe catalog isn't the right word, but some means for quickly matching a profile to an individual.

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#23

What concerns me is that I doubt the average user will understand the potential ramifications of entrusting a copy of their ID to a third party. If these documents are not well-protected or the user does not bother to or is not capable of covering up information that can be used for the purposes of identity theft, this could be catastrophic for some users.

"Clearly show your name, picture, birthday" "Cover up any personal information we don't need to verify your identity (ex: address, license number)"

Most Facebook users have already given their name, birthday and profile photo. For most users they wouldn't be giving anything else than those pieces of information on a ID card.

Now, that doesn't get into the secondary requests as the article states, but it certainly isn't "entrusting a copy of their ID to a third party."

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#25
post #5

Got to wonder how long it will be until a Facebook account is a form of valid ID in itself.

It can't. That's the whole reason they're having this problem in the first place. They don't do anything in an official capacity to verify that you are who you say you are. They're relying here on Gov't agencies that require more proof with official documents before giving you another official document(ID card) to certify that you are who you say you are.

It can never be a valid ID, because they are never involved in the certification and registration process of your "official" existence.

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#26

The instagram TOS debacle some weeks ago was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I recently stopped using Instagram, and requested account deletion from Facebook. Graph search and its creepy implications were then nothing I needed to find personally objectionable anymore. I no longer have to complain about the other sleazy, move-the-goalposts, amoral aspects of Facebook Instagram. This latest one, I have to…

I have friends who work at Facebook. I still don't know how they rationalize their employment.

Like FB or not (I don't), it provides a lot of value to a lot of people. While it might not promote the ideals some of us "hacker" types have, on the whole, it is not flat-out evil like, say, some of those toolbar companies or botnet groups.

Additionally, apart from writing in PHP, there must be tons of technical fun and deep problems to solve that makes FB fairly unique.

And also, I'm not really sure how unethical it'd be to work for them, even if you felt they were wrong. Unless you're bringing some rare 4-sigma value to FB, it's likely they'd just get someone else. Might as well be you, where you have a chance to influence things.

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#27

If social networks are so adamant, I will just create my website have all relatives and friends contact me via the said website. Or may be by email before social networks actually caught up.

This is the way it should be done.

I will say that social networks like Facebook have introduced some interesting dynamics and engagement that could have not existed otherwise such as Caine's Arcade.

I think we're all waiting for the social network we all want and pay the $10-$12/year for privacy, transparency and complete ownership over our data.

Re: Instagram Asking For Your Government Issued Photo IDs Now, Too

#29

What concerns me is that I doubt the average user will understand the potential ramifications of entrusting a copy of their ID to a third party. If these documents are not well-protected or the user does not bother to or is not capable of covering up information that can be used for the purposes of identity theft, this could be catastrophic for some users.

Users will not cover up their documents properly.

With business customers, even if we ask for ID to confirm larger contracts, they'll send everything. Full IDs, credit card scans, etc. Technical customers regularly just email root passwords to financially-valuable systems when they have the slightest problem.

Also, try this: run an ad on Craigslist offering $500 a day for whatever. Ask for personal info and photos. You'll be deluged with people ready to hand every detail over without second thought.

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