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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:41:03

Title: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 13:41:03: I just started casually looking for a job again, and decided to sign up for glass door. It was the first time I've ever searched for the term 'Software Architect' when searching for a job (I was a consultant before my current job). I've now started to get spam for 'software architect' jobs from other sites.

I know this is circumstantial- but it's a pretty big coincidence if it is one. Anyone ever tried to hold one of these sites accountable for obvious breaches like this?
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:06:31: Well, their goal is to pimp you (your information) for a cut.

So, essentially, if your information can be re-used.. it will be..

Why not ?

They stand to gain..

Your end of it is greater exposure..
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:31:14: Did you read the ToS and Privacy Policy? Fairly certain it says they'll share your information to a certain extent.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:39:17: You should do some reading if you really want to scare yourself:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/books/review/book-review-the-filter-bubble-by-eli-pariser.html?_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/books/review/book-review-the-filter-bubble-by-eli-pariser.html?_r=0)

If reading just isn't your thing:

https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en (https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en)

Simplest TL;DR no time for TED version:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble)
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:46:43: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:31:14
Did you read the ToS and Privacy Policy? Fairly certain it says they'll share your information to a certain extent.

I did (always do) and it said non-identifying. Pretty sure that sharing my e-mail address would be identifying.

https://www.glassdoor.com/about/privacy-sharing.htm
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:52:30: Quote from: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:39:17
You should do some reading if you really want to scare yourself:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/books/review/book-review-the-filter-bubble-by-eli-pariser.html?_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/books/review/book-review-the-filter-bubble-by-eli-pariser.html?_r=0)

If reading just isn't your thing:

https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en (https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en)

Simplest TL;DR no time for TED version:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble)

I know about this, and it's a completely different problem. If the information is coming through my browser and areas I seek, it would be appropriate.

If the information is coming through my e-mail address, it would mean that someone has harvested my e-mail address. That, combined with my exact search terms, makes this a bit more concerning to me. They aggregate apparently exactly what they said they wouldn't, then harvest it for the use of others.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:54:26: Quote from: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:46:43

Pretty sure that sharing my e-mail address would be identifying.

And wouldn't it be counter-productive?

If you found something elsewhere, they would not get the credit for themselves.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: Leslieann on Wed, 13 April 2016, 15:26:00: Always have a personal email address, and at least one disposable one for this sort of thing, makes life a lot easier. Some of these companies, you will never get off their list and will just keep selling it off to others.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:04:32: Quote from: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:54:26
Quote from: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:46:43

Pretty sure that sharing my e-mail address would be identifying.

And wouldn't it be counter-productive?

If you found something elsewhere, they would not get the credit for themselves.

I'm not getting your point.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:18:23: Quote from: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:04:32
I'm not getting your point.

I suppose that I look at things from a "sales" perspective. I would imagine that a job-hunting site would get a "commission" or reward of some sort if you accepted a job that they had enabled you to find.

If you took a job from outside of their venue, it would not produce any commission for them, unless their underlying goal was really just to harvest your information rather than actually helping you find a job.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: cryptokey on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:26:25: Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:31:14
Did you read the ToS and Privacy Policy? Fairly certain it says they'll share your information to a certain extent.

You mean those massive documents written in an unwelcoming caps font which would take months out of every year if you chose to read them? ;) They're written in such a way so that they can put anything they want in it and you'll just say I ACCEPT!!!1!

(https://i.imgur.com/oVto6.png)
source (https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/10560418585/to-read-all-privacy-policies-you-encounter-youd-need-to-take-month-off-work-each-year.shtml)

It's pretty scary all of the information that is collected about us on a daily basis, and even moreso peoples' apathy to it. If it's free, then you're the product.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 20:05:12: Quote from: fohat.digs on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:18:23
Quote from: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:04:32
I'm not getting your point.

I suppose that I look at things from a "sales" perspective. I would imagine that a job-hunting site would get a "commission" or reward of some sort if you accepted a job that they had enabled you to find.

If you took a job from outside of their venue, it would not produce any commission for them, unless their underlying goal was really just to harvest your information rather than actually helping you find a job.

I can see that. However, if they post a privacy policy, I read it, and it says explicitly that they won't share any non-aggregate information without my permission, and I do not opt in for sharing my information with third parties, I don't see where the fact that I got an e-mail, not from them, with my exact search terms should strike me as anything but alarming.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 13 April 2016, 20:24:57: Quote from: cryptokey on Wed, 13 April 2016, 16:26:25
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Wed, 13 April 2016, 14:31:14
Did you read the ToS and Privacy Policy? Fairly certain it says they'll share your information to a certain extent.

You mean those massive documents written in an unwelcoming caps font which would take months out of every year if you chose to read them? ;) They're written in such a way so that they can put anything they want in it and you'll just say I ACCEPT!!!1!

Show Image
(https://i.imgur.com/oVto6.png)

source (https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/10560418585/to-read-all-privacy-policies-you-encounter-youd-need-to-take-month-off-work-each-year.shtml)

It's pretty scary all of the information that is collected about us on a daily basis, and even moreso peoples' apathy to it. If it's free, then you're the product.

ALL THE MORE REASON, we need a Machine President to objectively evaluate public policy.
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: xtrafrood on Wed, 13 April 2016, 20:47:05: I've been on the job hunt for a while now. I'll pass on any website that wants me to sign up for job alerts. Instead of that I'll perform a search on indeed or simply hired etc, then bookmark the site so that it includes my customized search results. Now I just click my link and I get results of my area for the past 24hrs. I think I'll find a job from a craigslist ad (*cough* phishing paradise) before I find a job from a site that wants my personal info.

Glassdoor has been a great resource for looking up company info. Didn't help me prepare for interviews though :(
Title: Re: E-mail Privacy Laws... and the sites that break them.
Post by: chuckdee on Wed, 13 April 2016, 20:56:41: Quote from: csmertx on Wed, 13 April 2016, 20:47:05
Glassdoor has been a great resource for looking up company info.

That's all I was really doing at GlassDoor. When talking to the recruiter, she said, Oh, your company is known for being the highest priced in the area. So I wanted to verify that. Turns out she was right... and wrong. And I wouldn't have known that if I wasn't able to find out the salary ranges in the area and their salary ranges.