It's scary online! "Google" yourself, and you might just find som snarky comment you posted in a chat room years ago. It's only going to get worse...

Wow -- that completely whomps! I shop online all the time and I don't even have a facebook profile. It makes me wonder where else I should be looking... 

Damn. I better cancel that order from Fredericks of Hollywood. I was so looking forward to wearing those thigh-high red pleather boots. Ah well, back to Carhart. A boy can dream ;)

Chris - I did Google myself on occasion just to see. I am careful what I write in other blogs too.

Carolyn - I was stunned to discover this today. Scary stuff! I order lots of things everyday online. I wonder if Overstock is the only one connected to Facebook like this?

Lenza - Since you have already posted your order on my blog there's no need to hide now. Go ahead and enjoy your red pleather. At least you are't trying to run for office!

I never heard of that before...  Thanks for the warning. 

Lizette, I think this is insane. I noticed Facebook will also reveal if you rent fom movies from Netflix..There must be a way to turn these notices off???

Ginger

This is pretty creepy. Hmmm . . . what have I ordered online recently?

I would think it's attached to an application on facebook - this would bother me a lot. 

Hi Lizette... I was scared when I read your post as I tried to remember what I had ordered online lately that might be reported somewhere... I google myself regularly to see what pops up, but never thought to check places like facebook for stray personal info!  Thanks for the heads-up!

Wow!  That is amazing! 

Andrew, are you going to include pictures on your website?

Oh my.  Really, all those batteries are for my fire alarms.

Hi Lizette - I'm with you about thinking that's absolutely crazy!  What gives them the right to publish that kind of information about any of the members on there? 

Like others, I immediately began thinking about what I had ordered online lately.  And someone else said they show what you rent from Netflix.  How crazy is that??!?!?

I wonder if anyone has threatened a lawsuit for the invasion of privacy issues here?  It shouldn't matter that you can go in and find a way to delete that info - what about them thinking they can publish it in the first place?

Ann

That is crazy. Question is how much of the information was there. I am sure what you ordered, but was there any of the costs or transaction details? This could be very serious....

Judy - What was crazy was there it was without giving me the option to not reveal the info ahead of time. I couldn't change it till it was actual posted.

Ginger - Imagine if you had ordered some x rated movies!lol

Robin - It makes you retrace your steps.

Bo - I have no idea when this invasion of privacy started...it bothers me too!

Steve - Sorry I scared you!

Barb - I want to see Lenza in his new boots.

Susie - You are too funny! Like we all believe that!

Ann - I agree with you. I know I wasn't asked if I would agree to release any of my information on the Overstock order form. I sure would have said NO!

Charles - It was just what I had ordered and the size. No price. that was bad enough.

So does this happen only if you use Facebook?  Good reason for me not to join the crowd there.

There are no secrets and nothing is sacred any more.   Red light cameras and Big Brother are watching us!

wow that is crazy - not sure how facebook would even know - makes me want to go delete my facebook

Wow, it's amazing the amount of information that is out there and how little privacy there really is.

Public domain. I wonder about the extent of how far out we should allow ourselves to go on the internet.

There has to be a way to change your options. Otherwise I would say it wasn't worth the risk of putting your privacy on the line.

The facebook applications that seem so cute really do link the programs to each other, so it is a lesson in knowing what the application does or does not do.

wow, scary!  Thanks for the update!  I feel like everyone can see everything now.  we have to be careful!  Let's hope you didn't buy something too kookie for the whole world to see!  Yikes!!!!

That is odd.  I know that there are some other things that I have seen on Facebook that I would rather not have known about, such as "private" conversations.

I heard that Facebook was doing things like that, even when you rent a movie that will show also.  I am like you my private purchases are for me and me alone, I don't want them sharing my personal business.

Great post.

This is scary and a real invasion of privacy. Can't imagine who wants their purchases plastered on line for all the world to see. Whoever thought up that idea anyway?

Hi Jason, "private conversations?" Oh man... now that is totally freakin' me out. As much as I I.M. my friends, if half of what we had to joke about ever got out... eeww! Bob is 100% right, "this is scary and a real invasion of privacy."

Lizette,

Ok, so now I have to go to Facebook and see what you bought?  Actually that is a lot of "who cares" that shows up on a bunch of blogs and networks.  It is a waste of time to look at all that stuff.  I kinda have a who cares attitude about it, just can't get excited about all the blah, blah, blah that gets shared and posted.

List and Sell (and check your Face now and then)  Gary @ RentonHomeFinder

Ok, well, I was going to say something about how disturbing this is, but I have just laughed myself silly over Susie's comment... that was indeed priceless. 

Wow! That is scary.  Where is our privacy now day?

Another good reason to not use Facebook!

At Christmas this was an issue because this "feature" of Facebook was new... and how fun is it to do Christmas shopping and have your family and friends have a list of what you've bought?  Dumb and an invasion of privacy.

Love the photo!!!!

Lizette,

That is the most bizarre thing I've heard in awhile.  Why in the world would a company resort to that type of practice. 

Veronica - Facebook is the only place I am aware of that is doing it. There may be others.

Connie - If they are watching both of us then they will be wasting lots of free time! lol

Thesa - As some of these websites get bigger they might sell us out. What if Activerain started posting our purchases?

Christine - You are so right about that!

Sabrina - The only way I saw to change the option was after they had already posted the purchase. If you clicked on the info a box popped up to change it. I didn't see anything about this in my options to do when I developed my profile there.

Sabrina - I guess one of the bad sides of the real estate business we are in is that we constantly keep adding more ways to be exposed on the Internet.

Carolyn - I thought it was cute too...till a few days ago!

Crystal - I'm so glad I didn't order something intimate from the Hustler store! LOL

Jason - Scary that even the IM 'private' conversations might be posted.I stopped all my IM's a few years ago.

Lorinda - I'm all for the privacy too. It's too bad because of the convenience of using the Internet to get things quickly. 

Oh Yicks....private is private...or you would think...hope...wish...oh all those poor folks who order Viagra are goning to be found out !  Seriously....just as your credit card number is protected, the places you choose to use it should be as well. If there is not a current way to show consumers that they are protected from sharing this information...and apparently there is not...there should be..Where are the internet police when you need them ?

Bob & Carolin - I really don't know who's brainstorm that was to sell us out online. Great idea....NOT!

Carolyn - Now you will be thinking about all this craziness everythime one of your friends send you an IM. What if text messages on cell phones were sold? You might see that on Facebook next.

Gary - I agree. Who would really care? People that don't need to know our business?

Jesse & Kathy - Susie has a lot of smoke detectors that go bad. Don't you?

Vinancio - We don't have any it seems!

Dennis - If you haven't...don't bother. Unless you are into sharing...and caring what others are purchasing.

Maureen - I guess you couldn't buy a surprise for someone. It might be interesting to see what your husband bought his secretary...just because. LOL Or a girlfriend you didn't even know about!

Diane - I have no idea! Maybe there is money to be made there.

I would be flaming hacked off...I just asked my office this question, and all of them said the same thing...Thats a lawsuit waiting to happen!

Sally & David - Just where are the Internet Police? They must be the same ones that battle SPAM on a daily basis. Lord knows they don't let any of that get through!

Clint - I know what you mean! I just about fell out of my chair when I saw my order on there. Isn't that why when we order something it is on a secured website with one of those little lock thingys? How protected is that?!

Lizette -- No kidding.  Unfortunately, that kind of 'sharing' of information goes on all the time with marketing lists and such for sale from one company to another.  But, to just post it on the internet for the ENTIRE world to see...Yeah, that seems like a recipe for identity theft and invasion of privacy laws.  But, thats just me. 

Thanks for bringing this up - it hasn't happened to me...yet! But if it does, I won't be blindsided. What application on Facebook was it???

Dawn - It was in the Mini Feed I think.

Lizette--That is frightening actually! I have google searched people and found orders and comments from websites or organizations that I think they thought were secure. Tells way too much about a person in my book.

myspace doesn't do that!

Teri - I really didn't ever give it much thought until it happened to me. What if Ebay sold out on us? We buy and sell there all the time.

Kara - It's a wonder Myspace hasn't done that. I stopped using that one because of all the spam and weirdos that want to be my "friend".

How frightening!!  The other day I was told that "Google" has added a new service to its clients.  That you can "google" a phone number and not only does it list the owner of the number, it gives you options to look up the address, a map and sometimes a photo of the address.  I could not believe it until I tried it myself.  As I sat in front of my laptop I entered my home phone number.  You would not guess what happened. It listed my name, my wife's name, offered our address along with an exact map to my house and a photo of my private residence!

Yes, that is a great service for retail and commercial establishments, BUT I have two little girls in my house I do NOT want our persoanl information available to anyone who seeks it!!! 

Just to let you know I was able to delete my information through "Google"  so others could not access the information, but if you don't know it is available, how can you keep your personal information private.

I recommend everyone try it and decide if the information offered is something you want others to see.

Best regards,

Oh my.. that is a bit scary I must admit. Please share how you deleted it.

Shane - That's REALLY scary! Yes...how did you delete it?

Roland - I want to know too!

I KNOW what I have ordered online, and I don't like this at all.   Actually, although I do just about everything online, and the websites always issue their disclaimer that they are a secure website, I don't buy it.  Does anyone remember the movie 1984.  BIG BROTHER is watching us.  Kinda creepy, I would say.  So, what are the options, stay in the dark ages and burn your computer?  Nah.....

Here in Canada there is an information privacy group with a law suit filed against Facebook for breaking a number of Canadian privacy laws (we have very strict privacy laws here in Canada).

I'd be shocked and appalled to find my purchases there. You'd think Overstock would not want anything to do with this! I wonder if Amazon shares as well? Who else?

Privacy is serious business online. It is not only privacy concerns but also reputation management as Chris mentioned.

One of the consequences of being eager and active online is opting in to things that you may not want to. Unfortunately, in the case by not manually opting out you were opted in to the Facebook feed. This is a terrible policy and I hope some negative press will convince Overstock to change its policy.

I found a detailed article on this subject titled "Privacy Groups Challenge Facebook's Social Ads". Everybody would benefit from reading this.

Wow, I'd be upset... especially if I were buying something risque?!   :)

Seriously though, there is a growing number of privacy problems on the internet, and I'd guess it's going to get worse before it gets better.  It's best if we all keep a close eye on everywhere we're being exposed, and take the time to do damage control.

Thanks for sharing.

We do a lot of gift ordering online, and this very fact makes me happy that we do not have  a Facebook profile!  This is just ridiculous!  There is absolutely no reason for that information to be displayed on your profile or anywhere else for that matter!  I would have to contact Facebook and find out why that was done, and how you can prevent it from ever happening again!

Craziness! Thanks for the heads-up! I think perhaps the big O / facebook could get into some trouble with that!

OMG I can't believe they would sell you order. One would hope that would be illegal since it sure is unethical.  I'll think twice about buying from overstock again.

YIKES! That is very interesting! Thank you for sharing - off I go to Facebook...

Liz

Thanks for bringing attention to privacy issues on the internet.  Clearly the internet represents one of the most invfluential developments in modern history.  However, it has also opened our private lives to anyone and everyone.  Your situation is unacceptable.  However, people need to know that once you put something in cyberspace you can never get it back.

Barb, I'll post those photos right after I wax.

I had not heard of this function or the video rental problem. Thanks for posting.

That is scary.  Thanks for sharing as I had no clue that was going on.  I Google myself every so often because sometimes you get surprised as to what is out there.

Wow thanks for the tip. Seems there would be some type of notice that they could do this. I wonder if there is some privacy violation here. Well lets see how long it takes the watchdog groups, news media, and congress to step in. Though I would like to see what some congressmen and senators purchase and charge on thier accounts.

Wow thanks for the tip. Seems there would be some type of notice that they could do this. I wonder if there is some privacy violation here. Well lets see how long it takes the watchdog groups, news media, and congress to step in. Though I would like to see what some congressmen and senators purchase and charge on thier accounts.

Lizette, That is creepy, and it has to do with Facebook basically becoming a hub for as much information as possible about and for its members. I can't think of what it's called but they had a specific name for this. Either way, as you mentioned, privacy options can be changed to allow less information sharing. So members do have control over it.

Lizette, I have serious issues with this.  I shop online - it's easy and fast, but do I want everyone to see that I buy "anei-aging" face cream NO!!!!!   Thanks for the head's up. 

Why does technology scare me sometimes?