UK Gov't Official Advises Using Fake Details On Social Networks 175
another random user writes "A senior government official has sparked anger by advising internet users to give fake details to websites to protect their security. Andy Smith, an internet security chief at the Cabinet Office, said people should only give accurate details to trusted sites such as government ones. He said names and addresses posted on social networking sites 'can be used against you' by criminals.
... 'When you put information on the internet do not use your real name, your real date of birth,' he told a Parliament and the Internet Conference in Portcullis House, Westminster. 'When you are putting information on social networking sites don't put real combinations of information, because it can be used against you.' But he stressed that internet users should always give accurate information when they were filling in government forms on the internet, such a tax returns."
Sure, great for the UK (Score:5, Insightful)
What about in the U.S., where the corporations ARE the government?
Sadly (Score:5, Insightful)
The social networks are getting smarter, and even if you don't give them the information, they may already have it. Unless you're doing this and not associating with anyone who knows you in real life, they will be able to match you up to your real self.
awesome, advocate violating the terms of service (Score:5, Insightful)
And that is a considered a felony hacking crime in some countries.
He's wrong (Score:5, Insightful)
You shouldn't (always) trust the government either.
My details... (Score:2, Insightful)
Are more likely to be accidentally left in a pub by an MP on an unencrypted laptop than to be gained illegitimately from my Facebook account.
The real story... (Score:5, Insightful)
The other story here is that in response some whiny bitch of a Labour MP said she was shocked that a government worker would dare make a suggestion that we try and protect our privacy and anonymity because anyone doing so is obviously a cyber bully and has something to hide.
Which reminds me once again why I don't know if it's worth even voting next election because it's a choice between spoilt milionaires who were born with a silver spoon yet still want more and seem to spend more time legislating about what furry animals they can kill next rather than doing much of actual value, and fascists that want to control every aspect of our lives and pay us enough benefits to bankrupt the country if we can't be arsed to work.
Honestly, for once a government official speaks sense, and still it gets turned into party political bollocks trying to take a swipe at them over it.
This guy, whoever he is, for PM. He's made the most sense of any government worker I've ever seen.
Re:Dear faux-outraged MPs... (Score:4, Insightful)
Aw, isn't that quaint - you actually seem to believe this.
Don't worry. Everyone already does this. Your precious little databases of everything, everywhere, already contain 100% pure unadulterated shit (actually only 95% shit, but since you can't easily tell which morons gave real info, you can't trust any of it). So really, you haven't lost anything.
Have you *looked* at facebook? Huge numbers of people proudly post every real, factual detail of their real lives to it.
Steam Users (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The real story... (Score:4, Insightful)