Max Schrems, a 24-year-old law student from Vienna, a meticulous document requester and researcher, is now sitting on a pile of 1,200 pages that comprise his personal-data Facebook dossier.
He secured the data by using a European requirement that entities with data about individuals make it available to those individuals if they request it.
After Mr. Schrems made the request, Facebook handed over a CD containing data that’s now fueling 22 complaints that the law student has filed against Facebook with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (according to Facebook, European users have a relationship with the Irish Facebook subsidiary).
While he's absolutely right that FB's features are a bit "too" user friendly in regards to information one has to throw it back at him that unless he wants people to find it.... don't put it out there. Its the fine line of answering what is a seemingly innocent question and how a simple question can reveal a world of information..... (Sherlock Holmes fans anyone? The info world is the new S.H.)
I'm sure my FB says a ton about me, but I'd admit that people would probably like me more if they visited that first instead of meeting me in person. To be an ounce of a dick in the online world doesn't nearly speak the volumes one is capable of in real life. Just saying.
Perhaps Max's info will lead to tighter security controls but its very true that you can find out more than you ever really wanted to know about those you're friends with with a few simple mouse clicks.
