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Friday, June 05, 2020

Is Facebook Trying To Steal Your Library Records?

It was my understanding that librarians were zealous about keeping library patron's reading habits private.  Here the first part of the American Library Association's Privacy and Confidentiality Q&A at their website:

From the American Library Association:
"In a library, user privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information (see No. 2. “What is personally identifiable information“) about users and keeps that information private on their behalf. Confidentiality is a library’s responsibility. This responsibility is assumed when library procedures create records including, but not limited to closed-stack call slips, computer sign-up sheets, registration for equipment or facilities, circulation records, what websites were visited, reserve notices, or research notes.
Libraries should limit the degree to which personally identifiable information is collected, monitored, disclosed, retained, and transmitted while fulfilling their duty to comply with their state’s library confidentiality statute. Libraries involved in training volunteers, new employees, student assistants, or trustees should inform them of the requirements that they not abuse confidentiality and that they protect library users’ rights of privacy.
For ALA’s privacy policies and “Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights,” see the web site, 'Privacy and Confidentiality.'” 
So when I got an email from my local library (Loussac in Anchorage) saying I could pick up some books on hold under their new post Corona policy, I checked how to do it.  You have to set up an appointment - like picking up groceries you've ordered in advance.

So I clicked on the video.  Immediately there was a drop down window

Do you want to allow "facebook.com" to use cookies and website data while browsing "anchoragelibrary.org"?
This will allow "facebook.com" to track your activity.
Don't Allow   Allow

When I hit "Don't Allow" the video wouldn't start.  The window sits there waiting for you to click on "Allow."   And I'm sure a lot of folks will.  The video wasn't that important to me (I can't think of anything important enough for me to allow Facebook to track my library record.  But I get it that they are probably tracking a whole lot more than I realize.)

I figured out if I did nothing, the video starts, but when I hit Don't Allow as the video is running it would stop.  This is clearly set up to get people to hit "Allow"



I immediately emailed the head librarian - with this image - and she quickly thanked me for the alert.  

That was two days ago and it's still happening at this page as I write this.  

So I'm just warning folks about this.  If this is really Facebook trying to sneak into people's library records, it's horrendously outrageous.  It's like a backdoor around the American Library Association policies.  

Or perhaps it could be some hacker using Facebook as a cover.  Either way, I'd strongly warn people to avoid hitting the Allow button.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the post. It is one things for "public records" (property records, etc.) to be digitized in GIS systems, quite another for library borrowing records to be sucked up by a private corporation. As a now retired librarian, I am appalled. I will look for a work around at Loussac and the practically statewide system used by Loussac.

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