Comments on: Woman Loses Benefits, In Part, Due to Facebook

By: People tell me I’m so happy all the time…if they only knew « I’d rather be elsewhere, most likely

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:18:51 +0000

[...] you will. I think that’s part of the reason that there’s been such a reaction to that story about the woman who lost her benefits because pictures were seen of her on Facebook at a party, on vacation, etc. It really burns me [...]

By: Monica

Monica — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:27:37 +0000

I have a hard time swallowing someone’s claim to invasion of privacy when they’re posting pictures on a social site. It’s an oxymoron really. If you want things private keep them on your own pc, at home, whatever…don’t post online!!!!
Reminds me of the idiot reality tv Mom that said she was tired of all the media coverage! Really???? Get the hell off tv then!
Monica´s last blog ..Can I stay focused?

By: Frank Topping

Frank Topping — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:14:17 +0000

I have zero sympathy if Canada is anything like the UK too many people are taking the piss and robbing the system. I wonder if the person responsible for supplying the evidence works at the same place ( or not ) and goes to a job they hate day in day out then they see a low life like this enjoying the good life and most likely getting more money for doing nothing. I live in the UK where the benefits system is abused way beyond belief. Just sitting here I could list dozens of names of people ( a number claiming depression ) whom ALL earn more than me on benefits than I do for doing a 8 hour day over 5 days, my working day starts at 5:00am in the morning. One such person I see when I am on my lunch returning to work said to me a couple of weeks a go ” Hi Frank I can’t wait to get home I’m knackered”….. I had already been up and out of bed 8.5 hours and was going back to finish my shift, this lazy fuck had probably been out of bed 1 or 2 hours at best. She gets about £50 to £100 a week more than me and she goes out most nights oh and she’s depressed.

By: tinfoil hat

tinfoil hat — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:43:29 +0000

Again, one of the reasons, I don’t have Facebook, canybody can find you anytime anywhere

By: michel

michel — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:53:08 +0000

Bad reportage is more to blame here than Facebook. FB’s Terms of Service clearly state they will not permit any participation in illegal or fraudulent activities. All Manulife would have to say to FB is ‘one of our policyholders MAY be defrauding us, please grant us access to confirm.or deny, thx’

A couple of articles on this matter have mentioned this perfectly legal exception to ‘friend-only’ access, sadly, this site does not. Bada-bing.

By: Joyce

Joyce — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:47:37 +0000

Number one, sounds like you work for the insurance co.
Number 2, you are missing the big picture here, which is privacy. There are lots of other ways for ins. companies to check for suspected fraud, rather than snooping on Facebook.
Number 3, it sounds to me like 1984 is fast approaching, even though it may be a little late.

By: brandon

brandon — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:59:23 +0000

Sounds like she was trying to screw her employer & insurance company by doing this.

She should have been dropped, and her insurance company is being nice if they haven’t sued her yet.

It might seem like a story about facebook , but I’d be more upset that she stole from her employer & co-workers by forcing them to have higher insurance premiums.
brandon´s last blog ..My Example of a Working Facebook Ad Campaign

By: tski

tski — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:12:24 +0000

trouble is… putting anything on facebook is not in reality much different to just taking out a classified ad in the papers.
tski´s last blog ..A picture mouse mat from your photo collection

By: Joyce

Joyce — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:56:27 +0000

As far as I am concerned, privacy is becoming more important as tech advances. There is no excuse for this invasion of privacy; would they be allowed to stand outside her windows at home, and also snoop to see if she is having a life? This is about privacy, not whether she was doing anything wrong.
I am very careful whom I allow on my Facebook, and in fact, don’t see the point in adding tons of people you don’t really want to communicate with. That being said, I am even more skittish about using Facebook, and now do most of my communication via email, as it is becoming apparent that Facebook cannot be trusted.

By: Alec Yule

Alec Yule — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:35:13 +0000

I would think that if she posted in her Facebook account then that is made public. Then there is a case of how the insurance company “deemed” her to be “Un-depressed” I think that is the bigger issue here.
Alec Yule´s last blog ..Simple Blogger Autoblog Tutorial

By: Elmer Boutin

Elmer Boutin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:53:34 +0000

What’s the difference between the insurance company checking Facebook or hiring a private investigator to check up on her and see if she’s really too ill to work? Is that kind of thing done in Canada?

I don’t think pictures on Facebook alone would be evidence enough to cut someones disability payments. I have a feeling there’s a lot more to this story than is being told right now.

With the privacy laws in Canada as I understand them, no one should have been able to see those pictures unless the lady gave permission. Perhaps this goes to show that there is no such thing as real privacy on line.
Elmer Boutin´s last blog ..The Importance of Giving Back

By: Jordan McCollum

Jordan McCollum — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:38 +0000

That’s weird. I didn’t know the clinical criteria for depression was “never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever smile, leave the house or attempt to cheer yourself (unless through prescription chemicals).”

By: Bo

Bo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:10:11 +0000

Their is a lot of information that isn’t available here to make a good judgment call Frank. You are right about ‘What if this is part of her healing process?’ in the fact that no one knows.

If the Insurance folk canceled the benefits SOLELY on the picture without investigation, then they were wrong, IMO.