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WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

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Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#21

I'm like 99% certain they've been doing this for a while. I've noticed that anybody I talk to using WhatsApp quickly appears as a suggested contact on Facebook. As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this. It does seem awfully creepy, but I guess if you care about privacy you're not using Facebook much anyway…

Yes, I found the same (in South Africa, so have to assume that's globally true)

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#22

What happens if a whatsapp user doesn't have a Facebook account? More interestingly, what if a someone never uses FB account on his/her phone, like I do?

The latter isn't relevant - Facebook has full access to the data and likely has some major index to tie the two together. The simple communication data from Whatsapp alone is enough to find enough reference points for a high-confidence match with a Facebook profile.

As for the former, also likely irrelevant - Facebook has been keeping Shadow Profiles [1-4] for some time now, and whether or not you have an account, Facebook probably knows a lot about you just from what you/other people/your browser leaks about you. This information likely will just be amalgamated into the existing profile.

[1] http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/what-exactly-is-a-...

[2] http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/what-exactly-is-a-...

[3] http://www.wired.com/2014/10/privacy-friendster/

[4] https://spideroak.com/articles/facebook-shadow-profiles-a-pr...

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#24
post #12

This is why using phone numbers as account identifiers is a bad idea. (For the users, at least. Not necessarily for the companies who want to own those users.)

My wife, who is rather dedicated about keeping away from Facebook, ordered a new pay-as-you-go SIM for use in an old Android phone specifically and only for WhatsApp.

It seemed a bit of an expensive tactic, having to top-up with an initial £10, but now I realise she was quite prescient.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#25
Facebook paid a boat load of cash for WhatsApp. Why did you think they did it? out of the goodness of their heart? It's a business, people! and if you are not paying for it, their revenue stream must come from somewhere else. You are the product as much as the user. Get over it. If you don't like it, don't use it. Use Signal instead, which I do, and it's great.

There are also alternatives like Wire, which is really good although it doesn't have the adoption WhatsApp has.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#27
Finally. I've been trying to give facebook my number for a while. I've tried:

* Downloading Instagram without reading permissions.

* Downloading whatsapp.

* Downloading facebook chat.

* Having friends upload their entire contacts lists to FB, WA, IG, and chat.

* Using the website on mobile and directly putting in the data.

* Using any of their services to message friends my number which becomes a perfectly formatted tel link.

* tweeting zuck.

Facebook has still managed to not retain my number. I mean, I'm still waiting for them to phone me up. If you see this FB, call me maybe?

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#28

I'm like 99% certain they've been doing this for a while. I've noticed that anybody I talk to using WhatsApp quickly appears as a suggested contact on Facebook. As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this. It does seem awfully creepy, but I guess if you care about privacy you're not using Facebook much anyway…

How creepy Facebook is finally clicked for me after I gave my neighbor my phone number once moving to a new neighborhood. You know... in case my house lights on fire or something while I'm out.

That night Facebook was suggesting I add my elderly neighbors as friends. We have 0 friends in common and I don't have Facebook installed on my phone (I just use the browser) so the only excuse I have is when they added me they must have some "share my contacts with Facebook" feature enabled. Now there's some forever connection between them and me on Facebook's servers even though I don't publicly link my phone number to Facebook, it's only added as a password/security recovery.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#29
post #5

The article specifies that we can opt out of it. But it doesn't say how to do it? Does it? Does anyone know how to opt out?

Technically, you can but you a limited time window. https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/general/26000016 This is a dark pattern. In fact, once you say "Agree" you only have 30 days to opt-out. > After you agree to our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, you will have an additional 30 days to make this choice by going to Settings > Account > Share my account info in the app. I can't see such an option on my phone.

I don't see it on my phone either (iPhone).

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#30

I'm like 99% certain they've been doing this for a while. I've noticed that anybody I talk to using WhatsApp quickly appears as a suggested contact on Facebook. As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this. It does seem awfully creepy, but I guess if you care about privacy you're not using Facebook much anyway…

I just looked at the suggested friends page: among the first recommended friends there is a person I've never met in person, but a friend of mine sent me a picture of their business card via Whatsapp. I sent this person an e-mail a couple of days ago, but it was gmail -> gmail.

Maybe this person stalked me and that is why she appeared on my suggested friends page?

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