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Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

propublica.org

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Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#11

Post by soared »

O5vYtytb wrote: post #4
kminehart wrote: post #3

That might explain a pretty creepy thing Facebook did the other day to me. I just created a new Facebook account after maybe 4 years of radio silence. Two years ago, I had a job doing IT contracting; often I would go to businesses and repair laptops or run cable to a COM room. We had very very few residential clients since they weren't worth our time; the few that we did have were really just courtesy for doing busin…

They know your location and proximity to other facebook users.

This is the actual answer. Your phone tried to connect to their wifi and knows they've also connected to that same wifi. With few other quality friend suggestions, these ones popped up.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#12

Post by caconym_ »

> Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

I've been saying this for years. It's pretty clear that if Facebook told regular users just how much they knew, those users would be seriously creeped out (though, these days, probably not creeped out enough to do anything about it). I expect that another example of this would be the ability of their facial recognition system and the breadth of the database behind it.

Users are Facebook's product, and they should expect to be treated as such. The Facebook site and associated services are just infrastructure designed to a) collect information on users and b) give advertisers optimal access to those users.

edit: also, obviously, Facebook is not the only company engaged in this sort of thing. It's all around us.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#13

Post by pdkl95 »

soared wrote: post #2

You can replace "Facebook" with thousands of other companies. Everyone is doing this because the cost is low, its easy, and the return is massive. The sole service my roommate's company does is match your customer with data about them from countless other sources. If you want a peek into a small section of this type of data, go build a facebook ad. You can see all the targeting options. You can upload a list of email…

> match your customer with data about them from countless other sources

With so many data sources, it should be easy to find proxies for protected classes (race, sex, etc). Indirect discrimination was (and still is[2]) used to enforce racial segregation ("redlining"[1]). Facebook was recently caught[3] enabling direct discrimination. I wonder if your roommate cares that his company is probably doing the same thing indirectly.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining

[2] https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releas...

[3] https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-lets-advertisers...

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#15

Post by soared »

pdkl95 wrote: post #13
soared wrote: post #2

You can replace "Facebook" with thousands of other companies. Everyone is doing this because the cost is low, its easy, and the return is massive. The sole service my roommate's company does is match your customer with data about them from countless other sources. If you want a peek into a small section of this type of data, go build a facebook ad. You can see all the targeting options. You can upload a list of email…

> match your customer with data about them from countless other sources With so many data sources, it should be easy to find proxies for protected classes (race, sex, etc ). Indirect discrimination was (and still is[2]) used to enforce racial segregation ("redlining"[1]). Facebook was recently caught[3] enabling direct discrimination. I wonder if your roommate cares that his company is probably doing the same thing i…

We both discuss how our jobs will step over moral lines on occasion. It is something I don't like, but not something strong enough to make me quit. If I were in charge I wouldn't be supporting some of these types of advertising.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#16

Post by bogomipz »

>"For instance, opting out of Oracle’s Datalogix, which provides about 350 types of data to Facebook according to our analysis, requires “sending a written request, along with a copy of government-issued identification” in postal mail to Oracle’s chief privacy officer."

This is outrageous. Why is the onus on a user who never gave permission to a data broker in the first place? They deal in digitial domain when it comes to selling your data when it comes to consumers rights and concerns they operate exclusively via snail mail?

Don't expect this to change any time soon. These brokers have the US Electorate in their pocket. Bought and paid for.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#17

Post by xivusr »

kminehart wrote: post #3

That might explain a pretty creepy thing Facebook did the other day to me. I just created a new Facebook account after maybe 4 years of radio silence. Two years ago, I had a job doing IT contracting; often I would go to businesses and repair laptops or run cable to a COM room. We had very very few residential clients since they weren't worth our time; the few that we did have were really just courtesy for doing busin…

No mention here if this was the mobile app, but the IOS version will try and upload your contacts when you install messenger.

If you or one of your contacts uploads their address book then your friendship/connection can be inferred from the emails now in their database.

I'd guess your client has messenger installed if you didn't install it.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#18

Post by throwaway4897 »

I'm operating on the assumption that some day soon there will be a market for personal services.

I know it sounds crazy now but people also thought no regular person would ever need a personal computer. IMO the next computing revolution is in personal appliances with OS (but black box, plug-n-play to regular foks) that serve up usable voice recognition and other SaaS stacks that replace the "free" data black holes currently in use.

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#19

Post by xg15 »

dublinben wrote: post #6
kminehart wrote: post #3

That might explain a pretty creepy thing Facebook did the other day to me. I just created a new Facebook account after maybe 4 years of radio silence. Two years ago, I had a job doing IT contracting; often I would go to businesses and repair laptops or run cable to a COM room. We had very very few residential clients since they weren't worth our time; the few that we did have were really just courtesy for doing busin…

The most common source of those suggestions is phone contacts. Anyone using the Facebook (or Instagram) app is sending them a copy of their entire address book to be used for network mapping purposes.

How about Whatsapp? (especially since it apparently keeps all whatsapp contacts in "unknown" state if you deny the permission on android)

Re: Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

#20

Post by likpok »

kminehart wrote: post #3

That might explain a pretty creepy thing Facebook did the other day to me. I just created a new Facebook account after maybe 4 years of radio silence. Two years ago, I had a job doing IT contracting; often I would go to businesses and repair laptops or run cable to a COM room. We had very very few residential clients since they weren't worth our time; the few that we did have were really just courtesy for doing busin…

Did they ever send you an email or a text? One thing I've had happen is that if the other person uploads their contacts/address book, you start seeing them as suggested friends.
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