Spokeo, a social network aggregator that "mines" all of your online business (including blogs, social networking memberships, home values, occupation, phone numbers and more) is a new tool that more parents are turning to in an effort to keep tabs on their children. This application is often referred to as the "Big Brother" of the online world. And with an easy user interface and affordable price, it's no wonder this valuable tool is also utilized by employers to screen applicants and get a sneak peak at their online reputations.
The idea behind Spokeo's interface is to allow folks to snoop at each others "online laundry," and find out all sorts of sordid details. You only need a name or an email address. Even a phone number can do the trick. When you plug in the data, the site mines for memberships connected with the name or email address. Parents can gather intel, and actively see what their children are doing online, which includes photo postings, blogs, social memberships (which some parents may not want to see, actually) and a myriad of other online activities.
This online tool is especially helpful for parents concerned about what strangers can see about your children; this enables parents to safeguard family photos and personal information. And "mining" for your own information will show you just what everybody else sees.
Alert for parents:
Spokeo is now facing scrutiny after critics complained about lack of privacy. A big complaint was Spokeo's interface that offers street views of home addresses, which can be dangerous for young children who post their private information online.
Some parents don't see the fuss, but with the advent of technology being omnipresent and eating away at our family time (who doesn't "Facebook it" while waiting on take-out), parents have a lot to worry about these days. In fact, a recent study showed that media tends to monopolize time of most kids; American kids now spend more than half of their waking hours using electronic devices connected to the internet and the television.
Despite all of the distractions kids face, it is easy to for parents to instill sensible and safe online behavior for their children :
- set time limits for online time, especially on school days and for younger children
- set restrictions on media that your children can view; you can utilize this through your computer's administrator settings, or with various software programs
- view your child's internet history; if your child clears their cache, you should be concerned and investigate further
Spokeo can be an excellent resource for parents who are concerned about what their children are doing on the internet; but it also opens the door to things that cannot be "unseen," so proceed with caution!
Families in Medford can visit Oregon's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to learn more.
Comments
Big deal...Spokeo is fine...all you worry nuts calm down!!!!
I have my phone number unlisted and this site has it posted. Unacceptable...that IS a big deal to me so you calm down!
There's a "NO MORE SPOKEO" group on facebook now, with posts on how to file complaints with facebook, with Spokeo's DNS provider, with the Federal Trade Commission, and with the California Office of Privacy Protection.
Let's shut these cyberstalkers down!
You might want to write another article on Spokeo.com. I think you missed a few things. . .
How their site makes it easier for identity thieves to locate people’s information.
Stalkers now have an easier time locating their victims.
Burglars have an easier time figuring out what is going to be located within a home – as well as the age of the people within that home. i.e. easier to target seniors.
Oh, and I find it interesting that no one has noted they do not list a phone number – a BIG red flag that they are not being legit. As well as the fact that they do not have any ‘offices’ like their address implies, but that they rent mailboxes from the UPS store. . .
And, if that's not enough, the link they have to 'sign up with a company to remove all your info online' - well, if you do sign up through that link they get a cut of the proceeds.
And I can tell you that the sites where they did once pull my info from, well, they did not have legal authorization to do so.
And, if you didn’t know, they have your review listed on their site – which implies that you support what they are doing.
Interesting Article..although i think Spokeo poses many concerns for people these days. Anyone concerned with online privacy should read this article- How to Delete your Personal Info from Spokeo.com: http://blog.hudsonhorizons.com/Article/Is-Spokeo-a-Scam-How-to-Delete-yo....
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