Big Brother is alive and well, and trawling social network sites...
I was just reading a weekend paper here in Wellington, New Zealand, where an article reveals how "Big Brother" is alive and kicking and trawling social network sites to gain possible information on their members.
The article discussed how NZ government departments are trawling these sites for information that can be used against people on social welfare benefits for fraud purposes. One woman had been caught, redhanded you might say, because she admitted a relationship on the social networking site, and the department took a fraud case against her.
Even employers are in on the act looking for information to use against employees: In one case an employee was caught bragging on the site that he was taking a "sickie" from work because he still had a massive hangover.
If this is happening in a little country like NZ, just imagine on what scale it is being used in larger countries like Australia, Britain or in North America and Europe?
In my opinion they are just a pathetic and despicable bunch of Sebastians!
arctictern
Trying to obtain money by false pretences or lying about their circumstances then sticking it all over Facebook/Myspace is just plain stupid, if someone's got a grudge against them or is morally against their actions, they might report it.
However, for Govt. departments to actually employ someone to snoop on individuals in this way and using tax payers money is as low a snakes belly.
On facebook before you can see anyone's profile you have to be accepted as a "friend", in which case these snoopers are either in collusion with Facebook admin. or have fraudulently posed as someone they are not to enable them access to your profile.