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Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

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Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#151
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Poe's law isn't that absolute. Given HN style, I could tell his post was sarcastic.

Among other things it's virtually a HN rule at this point that the top voted post is critical. A purely positive post is a clear red flag and indicates sarcasm or some other snark.

I have never been prouder of a negative 4 votes. I will carry them with pride.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#152
post #147
post #4

Good. We can expect such behavior from vile conservative companies like Cambridge Analytics, funded by Mercer and the cause for Brexit. Why are they even allowed on FB? Such extreme groups should never be allowed.

Could you please stop using the site for political and/or ideological battle and start commenting civilly and substantively? The guidelines should be quite clear on this. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

I apologize if I did something wrong. It's a political post and I am just trying to make the point that we should hope and expect FB to be moral and do the right thing. They control so much of our information that they should make sure far right ideologies (ok, far left also) should never be able to manipulate the data for their purposes.

If such a discussion is not expected on HN, I am probably in the wrong place.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait. The very same Ted Cruz who is now president of the United States of America? Impressive.

After the primaries they were hired by Trump. Trump is the president now.

So they're 50-50?

How do I know they weren't the reason Cruz lost? How do I know that they didn't lose the popular vote for Trump? Take their word for it?

No thanks.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait. The very same Ted Cruz who is now president of the United States of America? Impressive.

They worked for a more successful candidate in the general.

Sure. If they keep working for winning candidates in the future, then maybe I'll be convinced that they aren't just BS?

If they even exist in the future, I guess...

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% believe in the fox to guard the hen house...from the other foxes. No point in sharing dinner.

Exactly. Facebook really wants to protect your personal information - it's their competitive advantage. If other companies all have your personal info too, then it's less valuable to Facebook. The last thing they want to do is let it get out. If you've decided to share your info with Facebook, well, that's on you. But Facebook isn't going to share it.

This fallacy of pre-defending a corporation from ever doing anything wrong or acting against their own (short term) self interests because "their business depends on it" needs to stop immediately.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#156
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People aren't that dumb, but it is still pretty scary that he'd be able to scientifically design an electoral campaign that can be updated in real time using various FB tools. No other politician has access to power like that. I can't imagine what kind of coalition he could assemble. I don't know if it would win, but if he takes whatever position his data tells him, the only obvious thing that would sink him would be…

Zuck is a Democrat, he’d get a pass on all that, especially if it meant getting Trump out of office. Let’s not kid ourselves, hardly anyone in the media and government would make a stink about what he does with FB to get elected. This is all hypothetical of course, he has to be one of the most unlikeable people in ages, and the reception to his “I identify with you, middle Americans” tour really solidified that feeli…

I'm inclined to agree with you, but I'm also in agreement that I'm not sure he could win anyway. Zuck would be the personification of neoliberal imperial agendas so I imagine the establishment, perhaps on both sides, would line up behind him.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% believe in the fox to guard the hen house...from the other foxes. No point in sharing dinner.

Exactly. Facebook really wants to protect your personal information - it's their competitive advantage. If other companies all have your personal info too, then it's less valuable to Facebook. The last thing they want to do is let it get out. If you've decided to share your info with Facebook, well, that's on you. But Facebook isn't going to share it.

Uhm, there are many companies that have access via the FB API to users' data and the data of their friends. E.g. CA/SCL. The TOS says you're not allowed to pass it on to third parties but that is exactly what CA/SCL did and FB didn't do much about it when they found out.

So much for protecting your personal info. That is why such a stink is being made about this story.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excuse me, I think you dropped this -> " "

Just as a great comedian doesn't laugh at their own joke, great sarcasm is best served without a sarcasm tag.

Sarcasm doesn't work in short text. It just causes confusion and adds nothing, since it just relies on the reader to decided whether the utterance means its face value or opposite.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#159
post #104

This is an especially egregious case because it was well-known a long time ago that Kogan extracted a lot of really sensitive user data via the Facebook APIs that could be used for precision ad targeting. It says a lot about FB that they took this long to take any significant action other than getting a pinky promise from multiple companies that they deleted the data. Even if they deleted the data, they could have re…

> It's bewildering that they knew this huge amount of sensitive data got into the hands of unauthorized third parties and were willing to treat assurances as a sufficient remedy. What exactly should they have done? It’s data, once someone has it, game over. It’s like trying to unring a bell.

They could have made at least a cursory attempt to bolt the stable door none the less.

I see no evidence that they have made any efforts to prevent a recurrence.

Re: Suspending Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group from Facebook

#160
post #104

This is an especially egregious case because it was well-known a long time ago that Kogan extracted a lot of really sensitive user data via the Facebook APIs that could be used for precision ad targeting. It says a lot about FB that they took this long to take any significant action other than getting a pinky promise from multiple companies that they deleted the data. Even if they deleted the data, they could have re…

> It's bewildering that they knew this huge amount of sensitive data got into the hands of unauthorized third parties and were willing to treat assurances as a sufficient remedy. What exactly should they have done? It’s data, once someone has it, game over. It’s like trying to unring a bell.

Manditory warning notices on all pages of FB, detailing about how your privacy can be compromised, your democratic rights infringed by using FB, in the same vein as warning notices on cigarette packs, or medication packaging.
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