In the social networking industry, the single most important factor for building user trust is strict control over their privacy. It looks like Reunion.com continues to break their users’ trust. Back in May I wrote about Reunion.com spam tactics. An article in LA Times highlights yet another privacy violation by Reunion.com.
This time around the company paid a third-party for a massive user database which ended up including the data of minors, one of which was only 4-years old. According to the article, “Reunion.com’s privacy policy says the site ‘prohibits registration by and will not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under 13.’ But that doesn’t address the site’s own data-gathering.”
The data may not have come from their recent user database acquisition though. Instead a Reunion.com supervisor suggested that the information probable came from “state vaccination records or from the Centers for Disease Control.” Wherever the data came from it can be shocking to see the information of your family members who aren’t members of the site showing up within your profile thanks to the help of third-party data.
Oregon State officials stated that this information is technically not public and that Reunion.com’s assertion was completely inaccurate. I think I smell a lawsuit coming. The company appears to be in the business of aggregating profiles of individuals created by third-party data providers whether or not those individuals are actually users. If there is one company that is good at building a bad reputation, I would say Reunion.com is.
Have you had any bad experiences with the company?
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So far today the Reunion.com site will not open. ??? Interesting development and just on the day that I was going to go in and remove my info if possible.
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I suspect they are getting private records and aiding and abetting identity theft and criminal activity as well. I would suggest people start calling the Los Angeles DA, State legislators and sentator and making this a real issue. IT IS AN INVASION OF PRIVACY AND PUTS PRIVATE CITIZENS AT RISK....WHO IS PROTECTING US FROM THESE INFORMATION BROKERS THAT ARE HELPING TO COMPROMISE OUR SAFETY AND IDENTITY.
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Now when I click on that LINK from Yahoo, there is nothing there on reunion.com's site about me. Although, when I do a search DIRECTLY from reunion.com's website on myself, it says that there is 1 possible match for me. It's possible I am still in reunion.com's directory listing. ??? I have a very unique name, so there's no chance that it is someone else. It could just be a come-on to get me to sign up.
I would hope and imagine over time that the link will on Yahoo falls off the next time Yahoo crawls the site. Who knows when that will be.
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Just leave them alone and don't join, and hopefully someone will start a class act against their site.
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How can you let friends know NOT to get involved if your email addresses are attached to their site?
Change your email address? But somehow they will get that...
Adjust your information on the site to mislead them? Does that work?
Any advice?
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I didn't register with the site (as I've already mentioned), not even for the free time they allow.
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Here's a lawsuit for Reunion below:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081030_can_spam...
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I don't recommend that ANYONE contact any of these websites (and if you look at the reunion.com privacy page, it states that they have about 20 other sister sites of different names that provide the same information online).
Contacting them just confirms your identity (as others have noted) and they require you to send them notarized copies of even more personal information in order to remove you, which shouldn't be the case at all.
A class actino lawsuit should absolutely be in the works against all of these sites that publish everyone and anyone's names, ages, and places of residence for everyone to see online.
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If you are considering paying Reunion.com, give that money to your favorite charity!
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I work for a corrections facility and would like my name off their list because they did not have my permission to put it on. My families and my safety can be jeopardized.
What can I do to get them to take me off.
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Existing backers include: Richard Rosenblatt, the former chief executive of one-time MySpace parent Intermix Media; Steve Newman, the former president of GreatDomains.com; and Andy Mazzarella, the previous chief financial officer of iMall Inc., which was sold to Excite@Home in 2001 for $425 million in stock." The new funding will go towards growth plus strategic acquisitions. Reunion.com was represented by Jeffries & Company in the deal. Reunion.com has hired Bender/Helper Impact (BHI) to handle consumer PR and brand-building efforts on behalf of its online people-connection network.
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(310) 571-3144
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Reunion.com
# (888) 704-1900
Primary Phone: (888) 704-1900
Primary Fax: (310) 571-3145
THEIR ADDRESSES
# 12400 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1500
Los Angeles, CA 90025
2118 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1008
Santa Monica,
CA 90403-5784
Here's the link to names of management from their own site
http://www.reunion.com/ManagementTeam.pub
Good Luck to everyone.
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Finally, what disturbs me most about this is it endangers victims of violence. I was stalked and had to leave the state where I lived to escape the stalker (despite my order of protection). I have been able to keep my private information and off the web, until reunion.com. This worries me it is no longer difficult for the stalker to find me.
These people need to be stopped as with other sites like peekyou.com who has actually come up with a picture of someone that I know. It was stripped from a MySpace Profile ( which does not publish his name) and has used the photo to create a profile without his permission. Apparently, it is more profitable for the lawyers and government to protect the companies violation of our right to privacy then it is to stop them.
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I am completely disgusted.
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My advice to those who are shocked and angered to find themselves listed on Reunion.com is NOT to contact the company, at least not yet, for a few reasons. First, their removal process is questionable, to say the least, and you will be doing nothing more than confirming that you do indeed exist and the information they have about you is indeed correct. Second, upon googling myself again (and again, and again), I noticed that the Reunion.com information moved further and further down the search results page. This leads me to believe that the company is using some sort of algorithm scheme or arrangement with Google to "test" certain names and information. So, despite the fact that they seem to have boatloads of information that they have been able to put together, and you may know that the information they have is actually correct, they still aren't 100% certain that it *is* correct and are trying to entice you (or anger you) into confirming. Third, my guess is there are enterprising lawyers out there who are already looking into this site and potential claims. It's a bad economy fueled in part by amoral decisionmaking at large corporations and private equity firms such as the ones involved here. Things like this add fuel to the fire. Given the companies and enterprises involved with Reunion.com, there are certainly funds available to provide relief to such a large class. Probably once more names, ages and telephone numbers start showing up on this site, they will come under more scrutiny and the lawyers will be contacting YOU. :) In the interim, perhaps keep track of the dates and times when you googled yourself and found your information on Reunion.com. Perhaps also monitor your credit report (as you should be doing already) to check for unusual activity that might coincide with the dates on which you found your personal information on Reunion.com.
Best wishes to all!
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I wish everyone best of luck getting their information off. I am still working on mine. In the meantime, the article above suggests complaining to the FTC. However, I am very tempted to contact the firm that invested millions in Reunion.com, Oak Investment Partners (http://www.oakinv.com/contact/)
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Please help
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on there. Now when you search for my name, they have the reunion.com link and you click on the link and there is reunion.com and my entire name (first, maiden and married) and
my city and state AND email address! You cannot get ahold of them on the phone, I
tried and it kept me on hold. I am filing a complaint.
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and this was playing with my emotions!!!! He said that he will tell management. Has anybody had the same experience? Is there a class action lawsuit on something like this. If there is or somebody is planning on doing one, count me in! Also, this not fair to my ex-boyfriend either. Maybe he doesn't believe in getting in touch with the past. It's not right to place his or anybody's info without permission. Again, count me in on any class action lawsuits.
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Please let your readers know they can file a complaint against www.reunion.com by accessing the Federal Trade Commission website and "filing a complaint. They can also file a complaint via the Southland BBB in California.
For more information on the practice reunion.com is using, check out their wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reunion.com
By all means, this company doesn't seem to be taking privacy seriously and needs to be forced to the same regulations the rest of the world is espoused to.
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Thank you for your time.
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