Spock.com – New Search Engine for People Raises Privacy Issues

Spock.com is a search engine with a twist. With over 100 million names indexed, the site has a goal of creating profiles for the world’s population. Much of the existing data is being harvested from existing social networking sites, such as MySpace and Linked-In.

Of course, GIGO (garbage in garbage out) applies. If the underlying data is false, the profile isn’t helpful. This is particularly true when someone maliciously posts a bad profile for you on a social networking site.

I took preemptive action and created my own profile on Spock.com. I’d rather have the data be accurate. Of course, some discretion is involved. Because of identity theft concerns, for instance, I did not provide vital information such as date of birth.

And of course, you should be careful about what you post online. If your hobby is surfing the Internet while at work, chances are that your current or prospective employer won’t be too pleased to read about it online. Content on the web tends to have a life of its own…particularly if it is embarrassing.

About the Author

With an advanced international law degree from Georgetown University and more than 15 years of real world legal experience, Attorney Mike Young is President of the Internet Ethics Council and creator of Website Legal Forms Generator software. He helps entrepreneurs protect and grow their businesses online.

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