MADISON, Wis. -- First, there were chain letters. Then, e-mails flooding inboxes. Now, it's social networking sites, like Facebook, to blame for the privacy risks.

The subject of growing concerns are the possible ramifications of taking an online quiz. The quizzes seem harmless enough, but there's worry about what information they take from users. The American Civil Liberties Union is beginning a nationwide campaign warning Facebook users to use caution when checking out those quizzes, WISC-TV reported.

"I think that the real danger is that we are really concerned, I think, as a culture over where information is going," said Stacy Harbaugh, community advocate for ACLU-Madison. "That's why it's really important for us to all be individual advocates for our own privacy."

Interestingly, the ACLU has its own quiz: "What Do Facebook Quizzes Know About You?" The answers explain how users are willingly giving out information to some companies. The ACLU also has an online campaign demanding Facebook strengthen its privacy protection.

Inside Madison-based radio station Life 102.5, social networking is helping announcer Ann Manion connect with listeners.

"It's a fun tool," said Manion. "We'll ask questions and they'll answer."

Manion heads up the radio station's Facebook fan page as well as her own page.

"(Because) isn't everyone on Facebook?" she said.

Manion said that she doesn't just like asking fans' questions, but likes answering them, too.

"For the most part, the quizzes are pretty benign. You know, like 'What's your princess name?'" she said about the quizzes she has taken.

But she said she has run into other quizzes that aren't so innocent.

"It was 'Find out what your gangster name is' or your 'Hollywood name' or something like (that)," she said. "Well, then it said what's your middle name, add your mother's maiden name and I stopped right there because that's the same kind of questions the banks ask."

Manion even warned her friends about the questionable quiz, but she hasn't stopped taking quizzes and accepting Facebook applications all together.

Mike Masino, with Madison Area Technical College, said he doesn't see fun and games.

"I think really when people are in this environment, they kind of just assume it's a nice safe environment and don't really think out the consequences of a lot of the information they put on these sites," Masino said about the quizzes.

It doesn't take the IT security instructor long to read the fine print often overlooked by users.

"When you authorize an application, it will be able to access any information associated with your account that it requires to work," he read on the application settings in the privacy settings section. "Meaning anything that is under this setting tab right here, all of that is available to that application."

All of the checked information, including profile, work history and photos, is fair game for companies to use.

"(Companies) can fish information out of you that can immediately be written down and then used to go after things like your bank account," said Masino. “They could actually use it to target advertisements at you."

There is a quick fix to protecting privacy by clicking "Do not share any information about me through Facebook API." To get there in Facebook, go to "Settings" and click on "Privacy Settings." Then, click on "Applications" and a second "Settings" tab.

Protecting a person's privacy has a flip side.

"When you do this, you cripple a lot of the applications because a lot of them require this information,” said Masino. "And as a matter of fact, the reason why they're written is to get this kind of information."

Back at the radio station, the fine print is becoming clearer for Manion.

"I knew to look through the privacy things and what friends and friends of friends and your network could see, but I didn't realize the depth of the applications can look into," she said.

Manion said she'll keep connecting with friends and fans without giving away too much information.

"I feel safer, but I'm learning an awful lot," she said.