Shocked by Wired’s knowledge of my personal information
Every month I receive a copy of both the US and the UK version of Wired. Sometimes I read it with great interest, other months the envelope lingers on my desk unopened for weeks. But today, I opened the envelope and was shocked at the personalised cover of this month’s privacy-led edition.
Titled ‘Your Life Torn Open’, I was asked if everything was well at Channel 4 News. Told at my next birthday I will be 29. So far fine, as I know that’s on my public Facebook profile. But Wired also knew I just moved house (with the exact address of my last property). It printed that my parents had just moved too (with both addresses).
Using Companies House data it published how many shares I own in Pink Unlimited, the parent company of PinkNews.co.uk.
But then Wired knew I had a meeting with my ex-boyfriend Adam on the 6th January!
As I showed the magazine to a colleague, I racked my brain to what happened on the 6th January that could have allowed Wired to know that. Had we both attended an event that was organised on Facebook? Then I remembered, I had mentioned on Twitter that I was meeting my ex. I also tweeted that it went ok. At the time I thought nothing of it because Adam isn’t on Twitter, so in a sense it was a ‘private’ message to the six thousand or so people who follow me.
What’s shocking though is seeing all of this printed in black and white (or yellow in this case). Everything was available from Facebook, Twitter, Company House and the Land Registry but it shows the information is so readily available. It also shows how powerful these resources can be for private detectives or government agents.
Will it make me change my attitude to privacy? Probably not. I’ve blacked out the address of my parents and the like out of the version on the Channel 4 News website simply because I don’t really think everyone needs to know them. But if you were desperate to know (and paid the Land Registry) you could find them. The ex-boyfriend bit was my fault and I don’t really mind that anyone else knew I met him. But it is shocking none the less.
It shows the power of a company like Facebook too. They have much more information about me, a lot of it highly personal. Today’s launch of Facebook Deals underlines that. The new feature will increase the number of people sharing their location online, knowing where people are at any given time is a gift to spies and the spooks. When features like this roll out, it also shows the importance of ensuring that you have the right level of privacy settings on Facebook (and Twitter). I only share my location with my genuine, proper friends, not everyone I know and certainly not the whole world.
The personalised Wired covers have been sent to ‘opinion formers’ around the UK. If you have got one, was your immediate reaction the same as mine?
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There are 2 comments on this post
Benjamin,
Imagine if that is publicly available…….what could the “intelligence” services turn over about you, what with their much more expensive and sophisticated IT equipment and ready access to personal data? And all without your permission or knowledge.
Do you REALLY believe they would leave you alone if you pursued a course they disliked?
If you think this unlikely, check out Peter Wright’s book “Spycatcher.” There are other accounts which demonstrate this is just the tip of the iceberg.
It is also a perfect tool to create an alibi for yourself. After all no one can check whether you really met your ex or just tweeted it…