Facebook getting out of hand (caveat emptor)

[Gremlin]

One of the best replies I've seen on FB for a while, posted by a friend of mine:

This disclaimer has been floating about for a while, always said it was a load of rubbish

Better safe than sorry is right. Channel 11 News was just talking about this change in Facebook's privacy policy. Better safe than sorry. As of September 28th , 2015 at 2:18 p.m. Eastern standard time, I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future. By this statement, I give notice to Facebook it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action against me based on this profile and/or its contents. The content of this profile is private and confidential information. The violation of privacy can be punished by law (UCC 1-308- 1 1 308-103 and the Rome Statute). NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you do not publish a statement atleast once it will be tactically allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in the profile status updates. DO NOT SHARE. You MUST copy and paste
Now it's official! It has been published in the media. Facebook has just released the entry price: £5.99 to keep the subscription of your status to be set to "private". If you paste this message on your page, it will be offered free (I said paste not share) if not tomorrow, all your posts can become public. Even the messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed. After all, it does not cost anything for a simple copy and paste

To which my mate has replied

VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
Facebook will begin stealing your undergarments at midnight tonight if you don't copy & paste this message in the next hour, forward it to everyone in your mailing list, print a hard copy for your grandmother & call your third grade teacher. This is real. I got the message first hand from Elvis who was having lunch with Bigfoot, while riding the Loch Ness monster. It was even on the inside back cover of every tabloid in the grocery store checkout line. Not only will Facebook start charging you tomorrow, they are also going to bill your credit card for the past 3 years of services. Luckily, each person who copies & pastes this status will receive a FREE unicorn in the mail tomorrow.
However, if you don't repost this status, Facebook code has been set up to automatically set your computer on fire & harm an innocent bunny in the forest! It's all true, it was on the news! It's official! Facebook users will believe anything their friends copy & paste into their status

 

[Byker28i]

Can we have the title changed to Facebook Users getting out of hand?

 

[cambsno]

hardly facebooks fault that people dont check what theyre buying

Quite right, but these days it's always someone else's eyes fault. Yes, the Internet can be a place where conmen lurk but so too can be directories or papers. It is a case of buyer beware, do your research and act with caution.

Take some responsibility!!!

 

[dejongj]

I blame Baroness Thatcher. It's all her fault, she killed the communities.

 

[Cobra]

not sure whats worse, the bickering threads or the ones that go off on a spam tangent

The bickering threads, most people get bored with the bickering, but most people will join in in a good old fashioned off topic thread

 

[Cobra]

I AM YOUR FATHER :nailbiting::nailbiting::nailbiting::nailbiting:

Hello Dad I wondered where you got to

 

[Nod]

Some soldiers? [/baldrick]

 

[the black fox]

I blame Baroness Thatcher. It's all her fault, she killed the communities.

I thought it was the argies ,we never picked on the ruskies

 

[bindex]

Facebook paid £4,327 corporation tax despite £35m staff bonuses...

From the Guardian, link HERE

OK if you're one of the staff of course, but it doesn't seem fair to the UK. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that it's all perfectly legal... but is it right?

 

[dejongj]

Facebook paid £4,327 corporation tax despite £35m staff bonuses...

From the Guardian, link HERE

OK if you're one of the staff of course, but it doesn't seem fair to the UK. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that it's all perfectly legal... but is it right?

In my opinion, absolutely. We need to make it attractive to pay tax here opposed to in another country that was more attractive to Facebook. It's 2015 and we need to recognise the global network opportunities.

 

[bindex]

In my opinion, absolutely. We need to make it attractive to pay tax here opposed to in another country that was more attractive to Facebook. It's 2015 and we need to recognise the global network opportunities.

I think we also need to recognise that if they make profits from the business they do in the UK then they should pay their taxes in the UK. I suspect we're never going to agree on this one

 

[cambsno]

I think we also need to recognise that if they make profits from the business they do in the UK then they should pay their taxes in the UK. I suspect we're never going to agree on this one

Totally agree, it is totally wrong that the likes of them, Amazon and Starbucks avoid this. But what is the answer, I guess they are avoiding legally, its the rules that need changing but can we do this (EU and globally?)

 

[Cobra]

Totally agree, it is totally wrong that the likes of them, Amazon and Starbucks avoid this. But what is the answer, I guess they are avoiding legally, its the rules that need changing but can we do this (EU and globally?)

I also agree, but I suspect its what keeps their prices down ?
Although rather like flea-bay, things aren't quite as cheap as they once were.

 

[dejongj]

I think we also need to recognise that if they make profits from the business they do in the UK then they should pay their taxes in the UK. I suspect we're never going to agree on this one

Why? That is exactly why the international double taxation treaties exist, to avoid double taxation.

We should work on getting the full tax bill paid here. Or alternatively try and change the global tax rules and see how far we get.

One thing people always forget is that they pay all the tax that is required. Don't blame the companies or individuals playing it by the rules, deal with the governments making those rules.

 

[Phil V]

Why? That is exactly why the international double taxation treaties exist, to avoid double taxation.

We should work on getting the full tax bill paid here. Or alternatively try and change the global tax rules and see how far we get.

One thing people always forget is that they pay all the tax that is required. Don't blame the companies or individuals playing it by the rules, deal with the governments making those rules.

But I believe they're bending the rules somewhat, and they're not alone in that.

If the UK employees are doing so well for the company that they're earning massive bonuses, then surely they're making profits here. I can't imagine a business paying massive bonuses to employees when the business is making a loss.

 

[dejongj]

But I believe they're bending the rules somewhat, and they're not alone in that.

If the UK employees are doing so well for the company that they're earning massive bonuses, then surely they're making profits here. I can't imagine a business paying massive bonuses to employees when the business is making a loss.

I used to get bonuses on global performance in addition to local performance in pharma. It all depends on the legal structure in accordance with what governments have drawn up.

 

[Phil V]

I used to get bonuses on global performance in addition to local performance in pharma. It all depends on the legal structure in accordance with what governments have drawn up.

And you seriously believe that Facebook UK are making no profit?

 

[viv1969]

And you seriously believe that Facebook UK are making no profit?

They don't claim to make no profit.
They merely pay only the tax they're legally obliged to.
Those rules will change shortly.

 

[dejongj]

And you seriously believe that Facebook UK are making no profit?

I seriously belief they play it by the rules. I don't like it how there is this focus on legal entities who play it by the rules, yet Joe public think it is isn't good enough. Well change the rules first.

I haven't looked in detail into their accounts, nor do I profess to be able to understand them. But I know many people in HMRC who are very capable of such matters.

 

[bindex]

According to the article I linked to they made an "accounting" loss of £28.5m in the UK so very little corporation tax was due.
I'm sure they've moved it around here there and everywhere in all sorts of ways but all of them strictly legal, dodgy as hell but nevertheless legal.

JP is correct when he implies that it's the government that make the rules and the argument should be with them. I have no real faith of the current government changing anything though.

 

[Phil V]

What Bill said...

 

[ghoti]

Facebook is simply a communication platform. What one communicates, who they communicate with and whether they are edified or frustrated by their communications are things under their own control.
It's little different from the telephony system in that regard.

I'm always perplexed by people moaning that Facebook is all "people posting pictures of their breakfast". Well, maybe don't follow people who make boring posts about breakfast? It'd be like using your phone to call your tediously boring cousin, then complaining that there was something wrong with the idea of telephones.

It's just a communication platform. It is what you make it.

 

[dejongj]

Facebook is simply a communication platform. What one communicates, who they communicate with and whether they are edified or frustrated by their communications are things under their own control.
It's little different from the telephony system in that regard.

I'm always perplexed by people moaning that Facebook is all "people posting pictures of their breakfast". Well, maybe don't follow people who make boring posts about breakfast? It'd be like using your phone to call your tediously boring cousin, then complaining that there was something wrong with the idea of telephones.

It's just a communication platform. It is what you make it.

Exactly, I tell people all the "Get better friends!"

 

[dejongj]

According to the article I linked to they made an "accounting" loss of £28.5m in the UK so very little corporation tax was due.
I'm sure they've moved it around here there and everywhere in all sorts of ways but all of them strictly legal, dodgy as hell but nevertheless legal.

JP is correct when he implies that it's the government that make the rules and the argument should be with them. I have no real faith of the current government changing anything though.

And that is how it links nicely to in/out Europe and how Britain is seen globally. Without backing out of international tax treaties, or allowing to offset losses, what should a government be doing that the current one isn't?

 

[bindex]

And that is how it links nicely to in/out Europe and how Britain is seen globally. Without backing out of international tax treaties, or allowing to offset losses, what should a government be doing that the current one isn't?

It could put better effort into shutting down or curtailing the many tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions that exist, particularly the ones in our crown dependencies and so on.
There's an interesting link HERE for anyone who wants to know more.

We definitely need to change things but I sometimes wonder if we ever will...

 

[Llamaman]

It could put better effort into shutting down or curtailing the many tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions that exist...
We definitely need to change things but I sometimes wonder if we ever will...

So you aren't satisfied with the BEPS announcement then?

 

[rjbell]

Someone last week posted on a local buy n sell group looking for a complete stranger to come and baby sit her children! After some neg comments it soon got removed but it beggars belief.

 

[bindex]

So you aren't satisfied with the BEPS announcement then?

No, are you?

If you're referring to the negotiations on the BEPS project It's a start, but words are cheap and as far as I'm aware they haven't even commenced formal negotiations yet and they're not due to finish these until the end of 2016. The US have not even declared if they will join yet, but jurisdictions like the channel islands and the isle of man have said they will seek observer status. All this sounds typical of this kind of thing everything will hinge on technicalities and of exact wording and so on, and I suppose it has to, that's the nature of the beast. But what of morality?

My view is that we are totally losing track of what is right and what is wrong. I don't have an easy answer either, wish I did. But the current situation where we have many multinationals paying little or no tax into the country, often less than someone earning the average wage, is inexcusable.

 

[Deleted member 49549]

And that is how it links nicely to in/out Europe and how Britain is seen globally. Without backing out of international tax treaties, or allowing to offset losses, what should a government be doing that the current one isn't?

Part of the problem as I see it is the revolving door between government and big business in making the rules. The big 4 are commonly included in drafting of tax regulation, and then charge large corporation millions to advise how those taxes they helped draft are best avoided. Looks more than a little suspicious to an outsider like me.

 

[andyscott]

They pay the dues, and have to pay what is legally enforceable. Just like I dont pay more tax than I have to.

As for facebook, if you are thick enough not to have basic checks in place, it is not facebooks fault, it is the criminals.

There are laws against murder, theft etc, but they happen on a daily basis.

 

[Llamaman]

But what of morality?

Sounds like Bolshevism to me.

 

[bindex]

Nowhere near!