This morning I was drinking my coffee while reading the latest AARP Bulletin (yes, I'm one of those gracefully aging individuals) when I came across an article stating that those who are behind on their mortgage payments can now be served foreclosure notices on Facebook.
What? I thought I signed a privacy notice when I financed my home through my Lender. How can this be legal? After reading through others' blog posts on the subject, I was able to locate this article from December 16, 2008, on ABCNews, by Rod McGuirk. It talks about the fact that it is not being done in the United States yet, and makes several statements about the privacy issue of being served liens on a social networking site.
Aussie Court OKs Using Facebook for Serving Lien
Pictured is the house at Wyselaskie Crt Kambah, Canberra, Australia, where a legal summons was attempted to be served to the occupant via the Facebook web site, Canberra Tue December 16, 2008.(Mark Graham/AP Photo)
'Some people are concerned that such court-approved contact with their social networks such as Facebook and MySpace could amount to a violation of privacy. "I don't think people sign up to Facebook thinking it's going to be another avenue by which a government agency or indeed a debt collector can contact them," said Colin Jacobs, vice chairman of the technology advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Australia. "If we expect that we'll only be contacted on an official basis through the phone or post or through a visitor, and now it's coming through a more personal social networking conduit, then I don't think many people will be happy with that," he added.'
Well I am certainly not happy about it. I am one who believes that creditors don't even have the right to contact my place of employment, much less post my credit status on the internet.
This deserves a lot of public comment and I for one am stating loud and clear, No Posting Lien Notices on Social Networking Websites!
Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®
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