I just ran across a Facebook app from Intel called “Progress through Processors”. It’s a new version of the distributed computing / grid computing apps we’ve had for a long time (I had lots of SETI@Home points), directed towards combating cancer, climate change, and malaria in Africa. That took about 10 seconds to decide, “Hell yeah I”ll do that!” (despite the economy hit – it isn’t free; when the processor is pegged it does use more juice). However…ahem…there’s the question of this little warning screen before you can install the app:
Allowing Progress Thru Processors access will let it pull your profile information, photos, your friends' info, and other content that it requires to work.
Excuse me?? Now I may not be the identity geek my friend Pam is, but I do know my way through Kim Cameron’s Seven Laws Of Identity. Law number 2 states:
The solution that discloses the least amount of identifying information and best limits its use is the most stable long-term solution.
In other words, assume a systems breach is always possible, and never ask for identity information you don’t directly and immediately need. Why on earth are my photos, my friend’s info, and “other content” required to use my spare processor cycles to combat cancer?
Equally scary, over 104,000 people are fans of this app. If they’ve all installed it, that’s a hell of a lot of identity gathering. I realize this is pretty standard procedure for Facebook apps (which is why I don’t use them), but I’d hoped that Intel would know better.
I posted a comment regarding this to my old home at the Intel blogs; we’ll see what comes of it.
1 comment:
Totally agree, Sean. I use BOINC to search for little green men, model proteins (both can use my NVIDIA graphics card), and run biomolecular simulations. It is crazy that Intel seems to toe the same line as nearly every FB app and require access to all that social information...really makes you wonder if they care to use any of it, and if they do, for what purpose?
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