Social network trawling software??

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bobg

Über Member
Heard an interview on the radio this morning during which someone said that 3/4 of all major businesses in the UK used software that scanned social networks and picked out selected words input by the software users which identified people who complained about them or their products. The bloke from Br Telecom that said they subsequently e mailed the people who they had identified to ask if they could help or improve the product or the service. I mention it because I wonder if Halfords will be getting in touch with us all..........:laugh:
Interesting concept though... bloody cheek or good idea??Anybody know anything more about it?
 

TWBNK

Well-Known Member
Location
Wirral
Only if they search for Halfrauds!!
 
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bobg

bobg

Über Member
Yeah, thats what I thought as did one of the other blokes being interviewed? Mind you I'd be amazed if all these companies currently using it hadn't looked into its legality. Br Telecom have been using it for a couple of year it seems
 

Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Glasgow
Can't see how its an invasion of privacy if you're posting the information openly on the internet and then leaving contact details.
 

Norm

Guest
Hello? Have I just entered some strange dimension where it is considered an invasion of privacy to read what people post on public internet sites? I'm not sure how or why it would be illegal.

Turn it round, though, and there's plenty of reasons why companies may want to read what is being written about them. For instance, if I was to type "XXX is a crap company producing nothing but shoddy goods and everyone who works there is a thief", I wouldn't be too surprised if that generated some legal interest.
 

Mark_Robson

Senior Member
I agree that if they are using software to pull the members email address then that's not illegal. I jumped to the conclusion that they were tracking people by their ip address, which when I think about it would require their ISP's cooperation.
I think that I'll go sit in the dunces corner now. :laugh:
 

iLB

Hello there
Location
LONDON
look up a company called gosquared and their livestats software, will give you an idea of what else they can find about you...
 

Paulus

Started young, and still going.
Location
Barnet,
The company I work for must filter out some words, as the computor won't let me get onto cyclechat because of the word "chat". Others who use facebook at work have no such problem though.
 

Debian

New Member
Location
West Midlands
montage said:
invasion of privacy.
it's disgusting

If you're being serious, how can it be an invasion of privacy to read what you've posted on a public forum or website? :biggrin:

Whatever you post, whether it be on CC, Facebook or wherever is in the public domain in one way or another. Never ever post on the web anything you wouldn't want your spouse, partner, boss, gran or the police to know.
 
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bobg

bobg

Über Member
I got the impression from the interview that many of the people who had been approached ( by BT) were just irritated at being contacted as a result of an off the cuff remark to a friend on Twitter or Facebook or suchlike. Mind you having spent lengthy periods trying to get through to BTs call centre, I'd have been delighted...
 

montage

God Almighty
Location
Bethlehem
Debian said:
If you're being serious, how can it be an invasion of privacy to read what you've posted on a public forum or website? :biggrin:

Whatever you post, whether it be on CC, Facebook or wherever is in the public domain in one way or another. Never ever post on the web anything you wouldn't want your spouse, partner, boss, gran or the police to know.

A facebook message from one person to another should only be accessible to a certain number of people.
I'd delete I reckon it if it wasn't my only point of contact with many old friends
 
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