new facebook app posts your criminal record

I'm not kidding. Someone finally created an app that essentially works like PeopleSearch and runs a public background/criminal record search on any of your Facebook buddies. Its called TrueScoop. If you want to see how it works, I recommend the writeup over at AllFacebook News.


This app is particularly alarming the wake of recent Facebook blackmail scams, wherein hapless (albeit somewhat stupid) Facebook'rs were duped into paying a fake Facebook hottie not to post the nude pics they had sent "her". Now, its even easier to dig up some skeletons and bring them out of the closest--by posting them on your wall.



What are the implications? Well, suppose a thoughtless friend were to post your record on his wall? Do you know how it would read? Also, as pointed out in the AllFacebook writeup, there are multiple occurences of most names. I know there are numerous Jonathan Seely's, and I would not want anyone confusing their misdeeds with this Jonathan Seely.

In light of privacy concerns TrueScoop raises, I encourage anyone who values their reputation (this would apply especially to those in the business world) to block this Facebook app. It serves no other purpose than to dig up dirt, and all it takes for that dirt to become public knowledge is one careless click.

Edit: I created a group protesting this new app on Facebook... join us if you feel this app has gone too far.