This Wall Street Journal article says that many of the most popular of the 550,000 Facebook apps (!) have been transmitting identifying information about users and their friends to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies.

“The apps reviewed by the Journal were sending Facebook ID numbers to at least 25 advertising and data firms, several of which build profiles of Internet users by tracking their online activities.

Defenders of online tracking argue that this kind of surveillance is benign because it is conducted anonymously. In this case, however, the Journal found that one data-gathering firm, RapLeaf Inc., had linked Facebook user ID information obtained from apps to its own database of Internet users, which it sells. RapLeaf also transmitted the Facebook IDs it obtained to a dozen other firms, the Journal found.

RapLeaf said that transmission was unintentional. “We didn’t do it on purpose,” said Joel Jewitt, vice president of business development for RapLeaf.”

Update: Facebook responds.

Imagine Thanksgiving break just ended, you log onto blackboard to see how you’re looking and so far it’s 5 D’s for the semester! You promised Mom and Dad over a 3.0 this fall and now there’s no way that’s attainable…or is it?

We’ve all been there, pleading for big curves and last minute extra credit opportunities. You gulp down 5-hour-energys and stare at a fact sheet all night hoping the final will go well. Then you spin the numbers a little to make the parents think you gave it your best. “It’s not a C, Mom! It’s a 78.5!” But hey, you’re still in college, you can afford to live a little right?

The downside to this story is that the gang down in D.C. seems to be doing the same thing. After a dismal response to a tremendous economic spending package, our nation still has its unemployment at a staggering 9.6% -says Congress. That’s far above what the Obama administration maintained the stimulus would stop, and about 4% higher than what it was when these chumps took office. 

Meanwhile, Wall street broke over the 11,000 mark for the first time since it’s record high in 2007 before the recession. But wait, if the stocks are doing well, than why aren’t people hiring? –It must be those rich fat cats in New York hoarding all of their big piles of money! –Wrong.

Investors on Wall Street are buying in anticipation of another round of federal spending. In other words, the fed is buying us a better-looking economy. Your government writes checks and the stock market goes up (in the short term). Where does this money come from? The economic tool the fed is utilizing is called the QE, and its first step is defined by creating money “ex nihilo” -which your Latin scholars will tell you translates to “out of nothing”. Economics scholars have a different word for this: Inflation.

Meanwhile, we get this fluffy jobs report to suck on. It estimates the Unemployment percentage at 9.6%,  (which will always sound better than 10%). However, an independent study conducted by Gallup marks unemployment at 10.1%! Not to mention that congress only counts people who are looking for work. If you count people who have given up on finding a job, we have about 17% of our country unemployed.

To sum our situation up, the economy still sucks. It shows little sign of not sucking, and the best we can expect now is short periods of less sucking followed by the same sucking. More people are laid off every day, and the knuckleheads in Washington have done everything they can to make you think otherwise. It’s been 2 long years. If you or your parents have suffered job losses, pay cuts, or furloughs don’t you think it’s time for a change we can afford?