Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Abuse due to Facebook post

A couple of days ago, I posted a blog regarding a Filipina from Dubai who posted a malicious comment regarding the victims of Bagyong Ondoy here in the Philippines. She said, and I quote:

"buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend (sic)."

Within minutes, thousands of Facebook users bombarded her inbox and wall of malicious comments, even death threats. Some even went to the extent of creating a "hate" group against her where membership grew in thousands within minutes. Not only that, Internet users were able to locate her Friendster, Multiply and other social network accounts and even her personal profile.

ABS-CBN news reported that the same Filipina in Dubai claims that someone hacked into her Facebook account and manipulated its contents since two years ago. She claims that she has already deleted such account to no avail and that she has already sent a complaint to the owners of Facebook. Furthermore, she claims that her Multiply and Friendster account are also not hers and that the same person made the bogus accounts using her personal information and pictures.

She said that due to the threats against her life, she was forced to transfer houses and literally "hide" because she was so scared of the violent reaction that "her" post triggered. She said that she is currently pursuing any legal action necessary to clear her name and she has asked for the help of the Philippine Embassy in Dubai.

Although I did not post anything in her Facebook account nor did I attack her, I admit that I reposted her comment in my Facebook Wall and joined the "hate" group against her. I was one of those people who spread "her" comment around the Internet (guilty).

Some are saying that what she is doing now is simply a backhanded attempt or an afterthought to clear her own name. Some are saying that she is doing this in order to correct her mistake when she posted her comment in Facebook while some are shamefully lowering their heads and muttering an apology to her.

A part of my brain is saying that this is merely a belated attempt for her to clear her name in front of the entire Filipino online community. However, we always seem to forget about how easy it is for some known or unknown person to create an account on our behalf and attack just about anyone we know - not to mention hack our very own accounts.

She said that if she really did do it, why would she be stupid enough to post her profile, her pictures, her personal information and use her real identity?!? But then again, maybe she did post that comment and this is just her way of covering up for her obviously stupid mistake?

What do you guys think?

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