What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data” • Hacker News Board

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#11

Post by dvfjsdhgfv » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:02 PM UTC

cromulen wrote: post #9

lamename wrote: post #6

This 'Download Your Data' tool is highlighted every few years when ire toward facebook is renewed, but while appealing it's never seemed more than table scraps to me looking at the data. Even without looking, the idea that a data broker would just willingly give us all the information it has is unbelievable. The scale is so large, how would you even know?

They don't have a choice under GDPR.

That's yet to be seen. Can you imagine the ire when Europeans are able to download a rich set of information on how they're being tracked and so on, whereas Americans and the rest of the world has no access to that information? I can't. What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advertisers's money via Ireland.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#12

Post by dvfjsdhgfv » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:04 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #8

An important omission is the data that Facebook collected on you using browser fingerprinting. Since a fingerprint is like a hash, it is theoretically impossible for Facebook to determine if the data really belongs to you, or to someone else who happened to have the same browser fingerprint. This means that if Facebook is legally obliged to offer a complete user data download, then the practice of fingerprinting is i…

Do they really have to use browser fingerprinting? With everyone giving them everything they want hey have no reason to use more complex tehchniques.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#13

Post by JumpCrisscross » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:05 PM UTC

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #11

cromulen wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't have a choice under GDPR.

That's yet to be seen. Can you imagine the ire when Europeans are able to download a rich set of information on how they're being tracked and so on, whereas Americans and the rest of the world has no access to that information? I can't. What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advert…

> What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU

This would be an enormously stupid move. It guarantees not only failure but an acidic backlash.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#14

Post by matlock » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:05 PM UTC

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #11

cromulen wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't have a choice under GDPR.

That's yet to be seen. Can you imagine the ire when Europeans are able to download a rich set of information on how they're being tracked and so on, whereas Americans and the rest of the world has no access to that information? I can't. What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advert…

"What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advertisers's money via Ireland"

That is specifically not possible under GDPR. It doesn't matter where your company sits, if you store data from europeans (or people living in europe) you have to follow the GDPR with potential for severe punishment. There really is no loophole afaik.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#15

Post by NietTim » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:07 PM UTC

Funny that the website is entirely unusable for me unless I turn off ghostery.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#16

Post by dmoo » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:10 PM UTC

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #11

cromulen wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't have a choice under GDPR.

That's yet to be seen. Can you imagine the ire when Europeans are able to download a rich set of information on how they're being tracked and so on, whereas Americans and the rest of the world has no access to that information? I can't. What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advert…

This is why FB has moved data for 1.5b users back to the USA

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#17

Post by mtremsal » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:22 PM UTC

dmoo wrote: post #16

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's yet to be seen. Can you imagine the ire when Europeans are able to download a rich set of information on how they're being tracked and so on, whereas Americans and the rest of the world has no access to that information? I can't. What is more probable is tha FB will try a legal trick claiming they are an American company and they follow the laws of California, not EU, even if they gladly accept European advert…

This is why FB has moved data for 1.5b users back to the USA

Has there been any conversation on HN regarding what this move achieves? I cannot see any clear benefit with regards to GDPR.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#18

Post by mtremsal » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:26 PM UTC

Thought experiment: if after 5/25, I download my data, then revoke consent and delete my account, then a while later reactivate my account and log back in -- if any of my previous personal data is tied to my "new" account, have I proven that my personal data wasn't entirely deleted since Facebook could still uniquely identify me?

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#19

Post by fredley » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:38 PM UTC

mtremsal wrote: post #18

Thought experiment: if after 5/25, I download my data, then revoke consent and delete my account, then a while later reactivate my account and log back in -- if any of my previous personal data is tied to my "new" account, have I proven that my personal data wasn't entirely deleted since Facebook could still uniquely identify me?

Yes. I'm waiting to delete my account until after the 25th because:

* There's slightly more of a chance they'll actually delete my data

* If they don't, I'll be entitled to be a part of any class-action.

Re: What’s Not Included in Facebook’s “Download Your Data”

#20

Post by mxuribe » Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 1:39 PM UTC

I'm not familiar with FB's APIs...do they allow for programmatic download of your data with the same set as via the manual download tool? Because if they do, then a neat little script - leveraging their API - could be used periodically to download one's data to at least address the issue with 2-month expiration on the ad data.