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WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

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Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#411

Post by Freak_NL »

qaq wrote: post #407
propman wrote: post #26

I don't get what changed? We've knows Facebook tracks everything, we've known Google does the same thing. If you've ever developed anything in messenger even today, it's amazing how much information is given. We know all these sites track everything you do outside of Facebook too. Everyone has been trying to get them to stop, we know it's illegal to build a profile on someone but Facebook gets around that by building…

One thing I am confused with all the data collection that is going on (and it obviously costing them $ and some reputational risks) is not really helping them to produce decent ad targeting. I am not even surprised by how bad FB ads are most of the time but even Amazon that has 20 years of my purchase history is amazingly bad: I already bought 4 Elixir programming books and looking to buy new books when they come out…

You actually want Amazon to show you different search results?

If I'm starting a new hobby or wanted to buy a present for someone with different interests, I would be very annoyed if results were hidden from me because of a name clash with a product from my purchase history.

A good product search isn't personalized, and doesn't try to predict what I want. It just shows the results in a sensible manner, and lets me use categories and keywords (in addition to user reviews, price, availability, etcetera) to filter the results.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#412

Post by Freak_NL »

thirdsun wrote: post #332
propman wrote: post #26

I don't get what changed? We've knows Facebook tracks everything, we've known Google does the same thing. If you've ever developed anything in messenger even today, it's amazing how much information is given. We know all these sites track everything you do outside of Facebook too. Everyone has been trying to get them to stop, we know it's illegal to build a profile on someone but Facebook gets around that by building…

To be honest I was not aware that Facebook invited anyone to take out that data merely asking them to delete it shortly after. That's the part that's new and offending to me. Meanwhile I tolerate political campaigns using targetted advertising. I just wish people were showing more competence when it comes to media consumption and the ability to distinguish between truthful reporting and obvious lies. The media illite…

Is media literacy something that can solve this though? A society can educate its citizens (and should do so), but a large group of people simply can't reach the level of critical thinking necessary to fully grasp the nudging and political weaselling they are submitted to.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#413

Post by distant_hat »

pvdebbe wrote: post #361
ctchocula wrote: post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exact quote is "Consumer Gmail content will not be used or scanned for any ads personalization after this change." I know they still scan my emails, because airbnb reservations will magically pop up on my calendar.

Do you log in to AirBnB using Google credentials? Perhaps they use an undocumented feature to broadcast the dates to GCal without mail harvesting.

They scan emails. I have had airline ticket reservations that my friends emailed to me added on my Calendar.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#414

Post by gpmcadam »

timvisee wrote: post #410

I've fallen in a deep, deep hole. One I can't get out of (meaning, deleting my Facebook account), because I've used "Login with Facebook" on quite a few sites and platforms. What do others recommend in a situation like this?

Consider whether any of those associated sites are still useful. You can enumerate these on Facebook itself, it shows you which sites have access to your account.

Secondly, make a list of these sites. Ask yourself: "if I lost access to these sites today, would I care?" - remove the ones you don't care about.

Lastly, separate each one from Facebook one-by-one. Some will be easy, log-in, set a password, unlink Facebook. Done. Some will probably require getting in contact with the site's support team.

Don't worry about doing this over night. Just rest in the knowledge that every step you take, is getting a bit more control over your data.

Eventually the list will shrink, and then you can start the mammoth task of doing the same things with:

* Your post history

* Your likes

* Your check-ins

* Your reviews

* Your event history

* Your employment history

* Your photos

* Your wall posts

* etc.

Good luck!

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#415

Post by MasterScrat »

propman wrote: post #26

I don't get what changed? We've knows Facebook tracks everything, we've known Google does the same thing. If you've ever developed anything in messenger even today, it's amazing how much information is given. We know all these sites track everything you do outside of Facebook too. Everyone has been trying to get them to stop, we know it's illegal to build a profile on someone but Facebook gets around that by building…

> I don't get what changed? We've knows Facebook tracks everything, we've known Google does the same thing.

This reminds me of the OkCupid scandal: https://www.vox.com/2016/5/12/11666116/70000-okcupid-users-d...

A researcher released a dump of 70K dating profiles and people were horrified. But this data was already accessible to anyone (just had to create a free profile) and you can be sure it was already used for analytics purpose.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#416

Post by donttrack »

timvisee wrote: post #410

I've fallen in a deep, deep hole. One I can't get out of (meaning, deleting my Facebook account), because I've used "Login with Facebook" on quite a few sites and platforms. What do others recommend in a situation like this?

Keep deleting it after you enable it to login to whatever site and the delete it again after you changed your credentials on said site. Eventually it will stay deleted/disabled and lost at some point.

Thats what I did and the Facebook account is gone now. Haven't encountered any problems so far.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#418

Post by oldcynic »

hycaria wrote: post #399
gaius wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ignore ads. I don't click on political news. You don't have to click it. For example I have zero interest in celebrities or reality TV, I've never clicked a link or read an article about them. Yet even I know who Kanye Kardashian is, and that he's married to (or is? * ) a woman with an enormous backside. it's pervasive, it becomes part of the background and what you consider "normal". I absolutely guarantee that de…

Did you see that through facebook ... ? Friend feeds ? Liked pages ? I've hidden pretty much everyone, only keeping a few music or art pages, only go on facebook maybe once a week anyways. I use messenger a lot though. I hate typing on phones so not many texts, and whatsapp web interface is not that great (and it's not as widely used by my friends, and it's owned by facebook anyways so what's the difference ?). Actua…

> most average things ever ie sports and such (which I don't follow -at all-). Like, really, you have nothing better on me ?

To me, that is part of the problem.

For years Facebook, and Google, have been telling the world they understand us better than we know ourselves, and all the fine-grained ways they can categorise and predict us. They actually seem to believe it. Then when they allow us to look at what they have inferred it is usually comically wrong for pretty much everyone.

Then they go on to sell to us, categorise and bubble us as though it were fact, and sell access to this marvellous factual data or sell their marvellous data mining capability to riffle through vast amounts of NHS data, or predict crime, or...

We're building a global infrastructure with a foundation of that 98% bullshit. That was mostly harmless when it was just about product ads. When it moves on to health, justice and politics and it's shown they're able to move the needle I think it does matter. Perhaps not much to anyone personally, but to society as a whole.

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#419

Post by hoppelhase »

kabes wrote: post #404
ramphastidae wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. I’ve been explaining this stuff to friends for years. Even the most intelligent and rational dismiss it as paranoia or say, “I don’t care, I have nothing to hide anyway.”

When people say "I have nothing to hide anyway." ask them about their weirdest sexual fantasy and their credit card number. Usually then they realize they might have somethings they want to keep private.

Or just ask "Nothing to hide from whom?"

Re: WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook

#420

Post by tzfld »

Hendrikto wrote: post #409

I deleted my facebook accounts years ago, and never looked back. Nobody in my fried group even really uses it anymore. Most people just check in once a day for 3-5 minutes.

>Most people just check in once a day for 3-5 minutes

Actually, that's a huge thing.

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