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Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

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Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#81

Post by chesimov »

jnbiche wrote: post #54
SamLevin88 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They definitely are. And for users like me they certainly aren't getting their money's worth... I use FB purity, ublock origin, and have spent the better part of the last year using the 'on this day' feature to scrub historical information from the platform. As a tool Facebook still has valid use cases for me. The benefits of keeping it edge out any negatives. So for now I will stay. Unless any egregious election med…

> to scrub historical information from the platform. You know they never actually delete user data, right? They don't delete your data if you actually delete your account, much less if you just delete a post. They just stop displaying it then.

This is something I wonder about. I'm certain they never delete anything, because in aggregate all that data is surely very valuable and will be for years to come. However, I hope that by marking it for deletion, it becomes more likely that it gets stored on increasingly distant/cold media, increasing the likelihood that over the years it gets overwritten or corrupted or some drives fail. If times get difficult, maybe they'll mark my data as low priority, and let it get overwritten to save some money. Can anyone shed some light on this - is this just wishful thinking? Is storage too cheap?

Another thing I wonder about: perhaps if some companies want your facebook data, they might pay a rate and see all current information on your facebook. By deleting your data, you've denied these lower-tier companies from accessing it. I suspect that with enough money, they could buy access to deleted posts too. But such companies are probably fewer in number.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#83

Post by tankenmate »

davidbiehl wrote: post #6

I found a similar thing with email notifications. If you regularly login to FB and look at your feed they will leave you alone. Delete the app from your phone or neglect logging in and you’ll start to get email notifications about the silliest things. Of course they don’t contain much more than “so and so shared a link” without any description of what was shared (trying to get you to login and look.) Not quite as bad…

I have blocked all of FB's allocated networks worldwide on my machine (via a look up of allocated IP space and fed into iptables / ipset).[0] So FB doesn't even get "phantom" traffic from me (indirect traffic from FB logos / js on random websites). I only log into FB a few times a year and only via a temporary VPS in another country and using an incognito browser tab.

So now FB has taken to emailing me complaining that they are missing me and that I should log in.

:)

WAYNE: I don't own A gun let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. STACEY: You know Wayne if you're not careful you're gonna lose me.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15222936

EDIT: fixed link to go direct to the comment

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#84

Post by reaperducer »

3pt14159 wrote: post #56

Just get multiple phone numbers. It's easy these days and totally worth it. They're only $1 / month and being able to keep your real number separate from all these BS sites is great. Plus, for 2FA social engineers aren't going to get you just by working your network.

Why exactly should I spend my money because Facebook can't behave itself? I'm not the problem; Facebook is.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#85

Post by deevolution »

Just reading this may have just pushed me over the edge to delete my account... except i need it to use tinder and bumble. I already havent signed in for months and i feel great. I only use messenger, but now im starting to see annoying ads polluting my messenger list.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#86

Post by AhtiK »

To break away from the newsfeed for good the most effective method is to just start unfollowing everyone and everything who appears in your feed. After a few days of satisfaction from clicking, the wall becomes 100% empty and stays so.

Much more effective than deleting your account or exercising any other kind of self-control. Good luck with having the determination to start following everyone once again -- not going to happen.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#87

Post by spraak »

tjoff wrote: post #50
ReidZB wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I realize that the proper solution is to terminate my account and never attempt to log back in.... but I've had my account since 2006 and despite the company's terrible practices, I'm really not interested in disconnecting for good at this time Well, that's the real problem, isn't it? If users aren't punishing Facebook by leaving the platform in droves, then what incentive does Facebook have to stop its consistentl…

In my book this is more or less another proof that you should be vary of vendor lockin and that under no circumstances whatsoever use any such system for communication. It is bad enough to change phone number but you simply can't change facebook to something else and continue as usual. I guess this leaves email, SMS and IRC as the main remaining options. Somehow this needs to be communicated to the general public, bu…

> I guess this leaves email, SMS and IRC as the main remaining options.

But how are those not also vendor lock-ins?

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#88

Post by _arvin »

jnbiche wrote: post #54
SamLevin88 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They definitely are. And for users like me they certainly aren't getting their money's worth... I use FB purity, ublock origin, and have spent the better part of the last year using the 'on this day' feature to scrub historical information from the platform. As a tool Facebook still has valid use cases for me. The benefits of keeping it edge out any negatives. So for now I will stay. Unless any egregious election med…

> to scrub historical information from the platform. You know they never actually delete user data, right? They don't delete your data if you actually delete your account, much less if you just delete a post. They just stop displaying it then.

is_deleted: true

Okay we're done here, folks!

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#89

Post by duncan_bayne »

darkstar999 wrote: post #61
duncan_bayne wrote: post #13

I really hope this is a sign of the end times for Facebook. I genuinely believe that the world will be better off without it, and its effect on culture, mental health, work habits, and socialisation. _Especially_ for young people.

We might be seeing the (slow) decline of Facebook, but in no way will we see the decline of social media that causes those bad effects.

Unless there is a sufficient cultural backlash for social media _in general_ to become 'uncool'.

"Look at that loser. Spends all his time checking Instagram."

Is it Machiavellian to wonder how we could memetically inoculate children against social media?

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#90

Post by jedrek »

fahadkhan wrote: post #58
ReidZB wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I realize that the proper solution is to terminate my account and never attempt to log back in.... but I've had my account since 2006 and despite the company's terrible practices, I'm really not interested in disconnecting for good at this time Well, that's the real problem, isn't it? If users aren't punishing Facebook by leaving the platform in droves, then what incentive does Facebook have to stop its consistentl…

I left Facebook. But mainly because I realised that it's a real poor way to keep in touch with anyone. Gives you the feeling that you are keeping in touch when in reality you are just sharing photos and quotes in a medium that's very noisy with adverts.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of events/organizations that organize almost exclusively through Facebook. Unfortunately, there effectively no other free platforms with a critical mass of sign ups big enough to be used in that way.
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