UK Goverment Official Says Use Fake Details To Protect Identity

[engine]

LOL, another 'official' out of their depth.

Either that, or the comments are taken out of context.

A senior government official has sparked anger by advising internet users to give fake details to websites to protect their security.

Andy Smith, an internet security chief at the Cabinet Office, said people should only give accurate details to trusted sites such as government ones.

He said names and addresses posted on social networking sites "can be used against you" by criminals.

His advice was described by Labour MP Helen Goodman as "totally outrageous".

Ms Goodman, shadow culture minister, told BBC News: "This is the kind of behaviour that, in the end, promotes crime.

UK Goverment Official Says Use Fake Details To Protect Identity [bbc.co.uk]

[Leosghost]

I agree with the official ( Andy smith )..non vital services government websites do not need to have anyone's true ID..and facebook, twitter and G+ etc certainly do not need to have it..they may want it, their TOS may insist on it..but there are absolutely no benefits to the people signing up in giving their true identities..

And to the inevitable "there is no privacy, that train already left" type comments which will be posted,..the reply is "only because people who think that were dumb enough to let it happen to them"..some of us are not so dumb..

[incrediBILL]

there are absolutely no benefits to the people signing up in giving their true identities..

There are if you want those AdSense webmaster welfare checks delivered to the proper location.

He said names and addresses posted on social networking sites "can be used against you" by criminals.

Which are all matters of public record and public records are easy to find online.

If you buy property all sorts of details get exposed online.

[Leosghost]

There are if you want those AdSense webmaster welfare checks delivered to the proper location.

My account is registered to one of my companies..

Which are all matters of public record and public records are easy to find online.

If you buy property all sorts of details get exposed online.

Depends where you live..where I live..non of that is a matter of public record..and is on no data bases that the public, or commercial entities can get at..

The CNIL has it's uses ;))