Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

smashcompany.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 165 posts

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#141

Post by abritinthebay »

tjoff wrote: post #119
cwyers wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did require a form of identification -- the user's password. The user was careless, and so that password ended up being compromised. This is exactly the same as any other scenario where a user's password has been compromised -- they need to prove they're the legitimate user, not whoever has the compromised password.

And the only proper way to do that identification is to go through the registered mail.

Given how many times I've had registered mail delivery screw up... no.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#142

Post by johnmc408 »

turc1656 wrote: post #128

The author claims the request for ID is an "invasion of privacy"? Such a claim is absurd. A request for something is not an invasion of privacy and never is. He can simply decline to provide the information - which is the path he took. The ability to take such an action makes it a decision. He just doesn't like that his account is not in his control. I get that. The situation sucks. But guess what - too bad. He never…

I am in this situation as well...Facebook does not have my picture or real age. They do have my correct name and I still have the original registration email. I don't want to upload my ID as I can't see how it will do them any good...of course I can't get in to my FB account though ;-)

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#143

Post by Zaephyr »

ccrush wrote: post #133
awinter-py wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also possible that the user read & understood the message but didn't take it as proof of its claim. FB has a history of collecting cross-site passwords from failed logins.

I would like to know more about this. Do you have a source? I have suspected this for years.

FB's security people likely track and have copies of account/password dumps from site breeches. Sort of like Troy Hunt does with haveibeenpwned.com but for their own internal security measures.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#144

Post by tobyjsullivan »

TL;DR: Author reuses same password for most websites. Password was leaked. Attackers likely used password to try and login to his old FB account, causing it to reactivite. Facebook has protections which prevent attackers from accessing account based on stolen password alone (no doubt preventing further damage from attack). Author is annoyed by this.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#145

Post by Tomte »

bigbugbag wrote: post #75
kalata wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Facebook, there's a difference between "deleting" and "deactivating" your account. OP did the latter, in which case it stays in the DB but is made invisible to everyone else. All you have to do to make it a normal, visible account again is simply log in. Deleting is a different matter.

There was no deleting option years go, it only came to exists recently and there is no proof that any deleting is actually happening only that outside access is disabled. I remember an insider interview a while ago explaining that at any time facebook hold several, seven if my memory is correct, copies of every data ever collected on all users and non users. Surveillance capitalism.

I deleted my account twice, both "years ago". I guess it was five and two years ago, maybe.

Definitely not "recently". But it was well-hidden.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#146

Post by dwg »

tobyjsullivan wrote: post #144

TL;DR: Author reuses same password for most websites. Password was leaked. Attackers likely used password to try and login to his old FB account, causing it to reactivite. Facebook has protections which prevent attackers from accessing account based on stolen password alone (no doubt preventing further damage from attack). Author is annoyed by this.

Nice summary, but it downplays the issue. The author has no remedy other than sending a photo ID. Why is an account able to be reactivated using a password known to be compromised? Perhaps Facebook should require an ID _before_ reactivation if the password is compromised, instead of the other way around.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#147

Post by gfo »

dwg wrote: post #146
tobyjsullivan wrote: post #144

TL;DR: Author reuses same password for most websites. Password was leaked. Attackers likely used password to try and login to his old FB account, causing it to reactivite. Facebook has protections which prevent attackers from accessing account based on stolen password alone (no doubt preventing further damage from attack). Author is annoyed by this.

Nice summary, but it downplays the issue. The author has no remedy other than sending a photo ID. Why is an account able to be reactivated using a password known to be compromised? Perhaps Facebook should require an ID _before_ reactivation if the password is compromised, instead of the other way around.

To preface my comment, I don't like the idea of providing government-issued ID either. I'd like to see their privacy policy regarding the storage of the ID and if they collect the info from it.

Having said that, I'm almost glad this measure is in place. Assuming the account was only deactivated and not completely destroyed (and let's be honest, they likely never completely destroy all data on a user) an attacker can very easily assume the identity of that user as well as invade the privacy of their friends who have an account but lock down info to only their connections.

What I'm trying to say is, showing ID seems extreme, but given the amount of power you gain by getting access to someone's Facebook account today, it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#148

Post by losteric »

bardworx wrote: post #106
a3_nm wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The identity challenge does not matter: you shouldn't have to confirm your identity to protest against the reactivation of an account you intended to close. The point still stands: OP intended to close their account in 2012, and are now being signed up again without their consent.

This happened to me recently, with Facebook. However, Facebook didn't reactivate my account, I was the one who mistakenly clicked on a link on Spotify when I reactivated my account which somehow triggered the reactivation. I'm going to guess that OP of article had a similar situation; Using another service, an errant click was made that triggered an event on Facebook.

Facebook will do whatever they can to keep your account active. The shutdown process is a pure embodiment of dark patterns, and a single click reactivates the account.

I remember shutting down my account and then recieving some emails a week later, clicked the link wondering why FB was still emailing me, boom account reactivated. Shut it down again, then a couple weeks later I clicked the wrong share link and once again my account was reactivated.

If I was an investor or advertiser, I would be deeply suspicious of Facebook's metrics...

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#149

Post by ChuckMcM »

Seems like an interesting way for law enforcement to get a picture of someone they don't have on record :-) (ok that is pretty paranoid).

I would probably hit them up with a 'Right to be Forgotten' cease and desist letter demanding facebook remove everything they have associated with the account.

Re: Facebook activated my dormant account and won’t let me deactivate it

#150

Post by NOSHSHNACKERS »

tobyjsullivan wrote: post #144

TL;DR: Author reuses same password for most websites. Password was leaked. Attackers likely used password to try and login to his old FB account, causing it to reactivite. Facebook has protections which prevent attackers from accessing account based on stolen password alone (no doubt preventing further damage from attack). Author is annoyed by this.

happend to me too. I am in the process of trying to create as many accounts in my name as possible to drown out the original one I cant acess anymore that is now active. Oh an suck a f uck Fb
Post reply on HN