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Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

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11–20 of 131 posts

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#11
And this is why under German law the BDSG §34 exists, which allows every citizen to request, once every 12 months, for free, from every company a list of all data the company has on the citizen, how they got it, whom they gave it to, and all statistical models that were derived from the data, or that had an influence on the data.

It’d be interesting to make a BDSG §34 request about "People you may know", just to see how Facebook responds (and if you have to pull them through court)

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#12
I've just assumed this is through whatsapp. I've logged into whatsapp with my phone number, fb know my phone number (2fa codes), and they've slurped my address book from my phone and then show me connections on fb that are a few degrees of separation. This is the only way I can think that neighbours I barely know show up on the "people you may know" feature -- we're connected through neighbours I know far better.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#13

I haven't used my Facebook account in years, ever since they recommended I connected with a person I'd known for 20+ years but with whom I shared no connections or commonalities apart from our nationality. As I remember it, neither of us had listed schools, jobs or interests in our profiles. Maybe it was a coincidence but it made me very anxious so I left the platform.

It's possible that one of you connected Facebook to a service along the way that provided access to contact information like email or phone number and they used that to make the connection.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#14
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funnily enough, I'm not FB friends with my wife, and she never comes up on my "People You May Know". I spend more time with her than anyone, so maybe FB's algorithm isn't so great?

Maybe she's clever? https://m.facebook.com/help/290450221052800/

Ha!

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#15
post #11

And this is why under German law the BDSG §34 exists, which allows every citizen to request, once every 12 months, for free, from every company a list of all data the company has on the citizen, how they got it, whom they gave it to, and all statistical models that were derived from the data, or that had an influence on the data. It’d be interesting to make a BDSG §34 request about "People you may know", just to see…

How does Facebook report inferred connections or connections deduced by looking at a larger graph? Their obligation to tell you what they know about you shouldn't infringe on my privacy.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#16
post #12

I've just assumed this is through whatsapp. I've logged into whatsapp with my phone number, fb know my phone number (2fa codes), and they've slurped my address book from my phone and then show me connections on fb that are a few degrees of separation. This is the only way I can think that neighbours I barely know show up on the "people you may know" feature -- we're connected through neighbours I know far better.

They probably know your neighbors because you both have the same SSIDs in your vicinity.. I don't see FB not knowing this. Or if you allowed GPS, and neighbors did too, then it's even easier to make the connection.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#17
post #12

I've just assumed this is through whatsapp. I've logged into whatsapp with my phone number, fb know my phone number (2fa codes), and they've slurped my address book from my phone and then show me connections on fb that are a few degrees of separation. This is the only way I can think that neighbours I barely know show up on the "people you may know" feature -- we're connected through neighbours I know far better.

You are 100% correct about this. People have appeared on "People you may know" when I have absolutely zero connection to them other than I have chatted to the on What's App... I'm afraid I may have to stop using the service soon... was great until FB bought it.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#19
post #16
post #12

I've just assumed this is through whatsapp. I've logged into whatsapp with my phone number, fb know my phone number (2fa codes), and they've slurped my address book from my phone and then show me connections on fb that are a few degrees of separation. This is the only way I can think that neighbours I barely know show up on the "people you may know" feature -- we're connected through neighbours I know far better.

They probably know your neighbors because you both have the same SSIDs in your vicinity.. I don't see FB not knowing this. Or if you allowed GPS, and neighbors did too, then it's even easier to make the connection.

My co-workers from the office are frequently recommended to me on FB. Since I don't have their number, it must be location based.

Re: Facebook Figured Out My Family Secrets, and It Won't Tell Me How

#20
So do we think Facebook and Amazon are just figuring out every relation between things in the world and they'll work out how to monetize it later? Or, what exactly is the hypothesis here? I have seen them accused of some pretty impressive leaps of inference lately.
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