A couple of days ago while I was browsing my Facebook wall I came across a news article that I found interesting . As it’s usual in many sites and blogs I could only read the first paragraph, at the bottom there was a click to “read the article”. I clicked on the typical button anyone would expect to take them to the full article, the one that says “read the article”… makes sense, right?
I got the pop-up below. As soon as I saw “Okay, Read Article” I instinctively moved the mouse to click that button as some sites warn you that you’re going to a different site or try to sell you something before reading the article… wait a second.
Isn’t this the same window we get when we want to install a Facebook app? Yes!!!
Clickin on “Ok, Read the Aricle” will allow this have to “receive” (I prefer the word “access”) my:
- basic info
- email address
- birthday
- and likes
- my subconscious habit for clicking buttons that read “read the article”
Well… what the heck Yahoo!?! See, things like this is what encourages everyone to tighten up on privacy give a bad rep to other apps. I understand if this was some unknown app… but Yahoo!? Give me a break.
Really? Yahoo App pretending not to be an app.
I really, really hope this note makes a push for the disappearing of these actions, buttons and deceiving messages – whether they are intentionally or not.
Let me know what you think.
Is that even a legit app? You’re right, that’s the same pop-up you get before installing a Facebook app. That’s why I’m very cautious every time a pop-up window flashes on my screen, you never know what harm it can do to your privacy or how it can mess up your pc.
Pretty legit – and even today I got the same behaviour. I’m getting pretty sick of these apps asking for personal information to do simple things – I can’t remember which video player sets up the video then asks you for the same thing after you click….