In the past few days, Sir John Mayers, the soon-to-be head of MI6, the British Secret Service ‘Spy’ Unit, was outed ‘big style’ by his wife, an avid Facebook user. 

Apparently, and I have to go on media reports here because his Facebook page was taken down, his wife listed private information on her Facebook page.  This included the address of their London residency, the address of her in-laws and photographs of their children. 

On Monday (6 July 2009), I was listening to LBC radio and the morning presenter Nick Ferrari.  Now, I really cannot repeat what he called Lady Mayers just in case I get sued, but he repeatedly questioned 1) whether she had used any common sense in having a Facebook page at all and 2) whether she had shown any judgement in putting so much personal information into the public domain. 

By publishing a holiday photograph of Sir John Mayers in his swim shorts along with a raft of other personal facts, Mrs Mayers made information that should have been private very public.  As the incoming spy chief, Sir John Mayers should have known better as