Facebook - security issue

[Kooky]

I always try to verify these when they pop up in my feed and this one has been rumoured since last week, but Facebook denied it.

Today a couple of tech-aware friends mentioned that it IS a real problem so I've been digging around and polling my friends - result being I do believe it is a problem. Some of your Private Messages may be appearing on your Timeline. Here's a C&P I sent to my family just now, I think it does the trick but open to correction/improvement:

You need to go into your Timeline, click on each year in turn on the right hand side of the page, and then look for a section headed up "Friends". (Separate box in each year.) The messages look like they are wall posts but it turns out some of them are not, they are PMs. I have checked a friend's page out for him and we have confirmed this.

Obviously there may be messages you do NOT want publishing! You need to hide them or delete them from your timeline and SO DO YOUR FRIENDS. Suggest you do this ASAP!

You could also add the security setting so that only YOU can see what people post on your timeline. I have this done anyway.

Last thought - Skype IM

[nev]

I did think this was a hoax, until I saw some private messages amongst wall posts. That was freaky.

[baloo]

You can see your private messages.

Have you seen anyone else's private messages ?

Has anyone reporting this security flaw seen anyone else's private messages ?

Something this big would have made the mainstream news if true.

[Kooky]

Yes I checked out Burbage's page before and after he changed his settings. I have also just done likewise with another friend.

It has been in the news for about a week now, originally I think was alleged to be in Europe but friends in Oz are swearing it has happened to them, and of course nev in Sg.

I THINK I had my security set to avoid it, but have done a belt and braces job (hopefully). Problem is, don't know what of mine might be appearing on other people's pages

edit: seems to be earlier years of FB.

[Fat Bob]

I was going to go back far enough on Kooky's page to see......jees lousie! I'm 15 pages down and I've got to last week!

How is anyone going to find the interesting stuff in all that drivel?

And wtf are you posting anything of interest on FB anyhow?

[baloo]

http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/24/report ... y-friends/

[Pinklepurr]

All the ones I checked on my timeline were just posts as per the link Baloo posted above. Not one was a PM,

[Kooky]

I've been searching long and hard for news on it, baloo, and seen many articles similar to that one. I think you know me well enough to know how suspicious I always am of these things, but I have a number of friends not prone to hysteria that swear blind there are PMs in and amongst the bona fide wall posts. I found one on a friend's page that looked rather private and he confirmed it would have been a PM. I couldn't see any on my own page, but that could be my settings so this one I thought worth sharing and then it's up to you if you follow up on it. Doesn't take long at all.

Bob, what the hell in the way of private stuff were you hoping to find on my page? You know I don't have a life. (And I know you read my posts. )

[baloo]

If Facebook was revealing PMs to the world it wouldn't be so hard to find a news story on it.

CNN et al would be leading with this in their News.

[Fat Bob]

I've been searching long and hard for news on it, baloo, and seen many articles similar to that one. I think you know me well enough to know how suspicious I always am of these things, but I have a number of friends not prone to hysteria that swear blind there are PMs in and amongst the bona fide wall posts. I found one on a friend's page that looked rather private and he confirmed it would have been a PM. I couldn't see any on my own page, but that could be my settings so this one I thought worth sharing and then it's up to you if you follow up on it. Doesn't take long at all.

Bob, what the hell in the way of private stuff were you hoping to find on my page? You know I don't have a life. (And I know you read my posts. )

So if you don't have private stuff on there, why are you kicking up a fuss? Just joining in the hysteria?:D

[chocolate]

I had a scroll through some of my old stuff, i think judging by the conversations some may be PM's but most are wall posts..nothing incriminating ..yet...

[Kooky]

So if you don't have private stuff on there, why are you kicking up a fuss? Just joining in the hysteria?:D

Ach, go boil yer head

[Jedi]

Just checked my timeline and didn't see any issues. Wall posts were there, no PM's. There'd have to be some really screwed up coding to do this (which facebook have confirmed there isn't).

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing37.html

“From a technical perspective, private messages and wall posts/timeline posts are treated as very different types of objects on Facebook. No mechanism has ever been created that would allow a private message to be published on the timeline,” said the spokesperson.

[Morrolan]

i don't do Facebook. remarkable how much peace of mind that gives...

[Kooky]

Well sorry to sound like Mr Oz's big sister but I am now convinced it is happening.

(Why do I care and am feeding the hysteria? Mainly because it's my method of IM with my sister, we chat a lot about my Dad's health, and I haven't yet convinced her to move to Skype.)

[Fat Bob]

Calm down, calm down! Why don't you create a false account that you friend with minimum of access and check from there?

It's simple, and no need to feed the hysteria!

[Kooky]

Nah, the sister will use Skype or not talk to me at all. If necessary I will set up her account.