Did you know you can follow Consumerist on Twitter and get all our headlines that way? Or read us in RSS? Or fan us on Facebook and only get a selection of our most popular stories? Yep, it’s true! Take our hand and jump on in, the water is nice. [More]
Sponsored Facebook Posts Turn Your Updates Into Ads For Which You Get No Money
By 1.27.11
For the none of you who really, really wanted to have your Facebook updates automatically converted into ads for which you receive no money — and which you can’t opt out of — the site has answered your prayers! [More]
Survey: Facebook Users Compelled To Update Status From Bathroom
By 1.20.11
If you’ve ever wondered how some of your Facebook friends find the time to update their status as frequently as they do, a new survey may have an answer. According to the study, from AIS Media, 27% of people use Facebook in the bathroom. Good thing they’re not actually including details about that in their updates. [More]
JCPenney Opens Up The First Facebook Store
By 12.14.10
JCPenney just snagged the “anchor store” spot on Facebook, becoming the first retailer to let shoppers purchase crap directly from their Facebook page application through a fully integrated e-commerce platform. [More]
Game Developer Says Farmville Is Designed To Be "Negative" And "Draining"
By 12.9.10
So-called social network games like Farmville and Mafia Wars are intentionally designed to not be fun and cause you anxiety, says a well-respected game developer. [More]
Debt Collectors Exploit Facebook To Embarrass You To Friends And Family
By 11.17.10
A woman has filed suit, the first of its kind, to get a debt collector to stop harassing her, her friends, and her family through Facebook and other social networking sites. [More]
Facebook Announces 'Gmail Killer' Messaging Service
By 11.15.10
Even though more and more people have been using their Facebook accounts to send e-mails to their friends and family, apparently that’s not enough for the site’s head honcho Mark Zuckerberg. Earlier today, the youngster announced a new e-mailing service that he says is the next step in messaging. [More]
Delete All Facebook Apps You're Not Using
By 11.5.10
Here’s a fun lil’ project to protect your privacy in just a few minutes. Go through Facebook and delete all the apps you’re no longer using. That way they’ll no longer have access your data so they can’t mine it or sell it. Here’s how to do it. [More]
Your Facebook Login Can Get Jacked By A Monkey With A Mouse
By 10.27.10
The guy sitting next to you in the coffee shop might actually be logging into your Facebook account, using the info beaming out your computer. It’s called “session hijacking” or “sidejacking” and despite it being a well-known vulnerability, most websites aren’t protecting their users from it. After a developer recently unveiled a user-friendly bit of code that makes “sidejacking” as easy a few mouse clicks, the problem is getting fresh attention. [More]
Congressmen Demand Answers On Facebook Privacy Issues
By 10.19.10
It’s always nice when a Democrat from Massachusetts and a Republican from Texas can work together, though Facebook bigwig Mark Zuckerberg might disagree. The website’s CEO finds himself being asked to answer some tough questions from a pair of Congressmen from those two states. [More]
Report: All Top 10 Facebook Apps Leaking Personal Information
By 10.18.10
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, a large number of the most popular applications on Facebook — including all of the 10 most popular apps — have been improperly transmitting user info, including names and possibly names of friends to advertising and internet tracking companies. [More]
Facebook "Groups" Welcomes You To NAMBLA
By 10.8.10
Facebook updated its Groups feature this week, making it easier for your friends to create new groups and add you to them — without asking you first. As Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis discovered, this means a long-forgotten “friend” can make you a member of just about anything, even a group known by the acronym NAMBLA. [More]
NY Bar Rules It's Ethical For Lawyers To Scour Facebook For Damaging Info
By 9.27.10
The New York Bar Association has decreed that it’s okay for lawyers to troll through Facebook and other social media sites for damaging info on their opposition. There is an important caveat, though. It’s only ethical if the info is publicly available. “Friending” someone for the purpose of accessing data the person only makes available to their “friends” is not kosher, nor is it cool to ask someone else to do it for you. [More]
GM Wants You To Update Your Facebook Status While You Drive
By 9.9.10
Because there is nothing more important for GM to improve with their vehicles, the car company has begun testing a functionality that would allow Facebook-addicted drivers to tell everyone “I can’t believe Prince Poppycock made it through to the finals on America’s Got Talent!!!” without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. [More]
CPSC Says No Link Found Between Dry Max Diapers And Diaper Rash
By 9.3.10
Back in May a lotta parents were venting online about newly formulated Pampers Dry Max Diapers giving their kids bad diaper rash. The CPSC got almost 4,700 incident reports and investigated, but so far has not found any specific link that says the diapers are causing adverse reactions any different from normal diaper rash. [More]
Heinz Is Desperate To Be Your Facebook Friend
By 9.3.10
Michael snapped this picture of a bottle of Heinz ketchup that just comes right out and asks you to become its friend. He writes, “Is Heinz that desperate now that they need to slap a HUGE ‘find us on facebook’ thing right on their iconic package label? This facebook thing is getting out of hand!” Sort of like URLs in 1997. Using the entire front label as a plea for Facebook friendship is a new and slightly frightening tactic, though. [More]
Target Sells Facebook Gift Cards
By 9.2.10
This holiday season, give the gift of Mafia Wars addiction with Facebook gift cards from Target. [More]
Erase Yourself From The Internet
By 8.31.10
Need to escape from a stalker or clean up your online identity before a potential or current employer finds out that you have a personality? Here’s instructions on how to delete yourself from the internet, everything from erasing your profile from Facebook to “unGoogling” yourself. [More]
