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Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

nytimes.com

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Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#141

Post by seq »

sp332 wrote: post #33
erichurkman wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

User impersonation code always terrifies the bajeebus out of me.

You only get to see your own profile. It's a very useful tool to make sure you're not leaking data you people you'd rather not give it to.

Well, thanks to Facebooks "View As" functionality, I recently discovered that their privacy setting "Only Me" does not work for only me, if another person is tagged in the picture. Meaning that if I have a picture with my ex somewhere in profile, set to "Only Me", it actually means "Only me... and her".

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#142

Post by chairmanmow »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #106
fareesh wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to some in the US government, Facebook can change the result of an election, so I guess that would qualify

> According to some in the US government, Facebook can change the result of an election, so I guess that would qualify Essential infrastructure describes "assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy" [1]. Not things that can cause a lot of damage. Bombers aren't essential infrastructure. Facebook is non-essential. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_infrastructure

According to your linked article, it could be considered 'Critical.' Not sure how it doesn't fit under the 'telecommunications' umbrella. Subjectively I don't like facebook nor people's dependence on it to label it 'critical', but objectively I'm not sure the linked article supports those subjective inclinations. At the very least, it's certainly debatable that facebook could be considered Telecommunications infrastructure.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#143

Post by nrook »

repolfx wrote: post #113
chalkandpaste wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very short-sighted view. Yes it has some immediate benefit in terms of pay, but you have to consider the long-term societal tradeoff of not developing addictive mental candy for people or developing societally useful technologies (or vice-versa, as it now stands). We can focussed on getting paid a lot now, or improving the wealth of everyone and generative the value we can all enjoy later.

What makes Facebook "addictive mental candy" other than you not personally liking it? I know lots of people who feel they get and have got tremendous practical benefit from Facebook. It isn't "addictive" unless you use that term to mean anything some people make that other people enjoy.

Here's a study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28093386

"Our results showed that overall, the use of Facebook was negatively associated with well-being."

Naturally, even if this study is accurate it isn't definitive; the causation could go in the other direction, that the unhappy use Facebook more often than the contented. But it's still quite suggestive.

I saw this study referenced from this article: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/21/17144748/c...

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#144

Post by IBM »

nv-vn wrote: post #112
IBM wrote: post #10

If you watched the Senate hearing on privacy two days ago you'd have seen that they were remarkably on the same page about potential privacy legislation [1]. Facebook's continued fuck ups will only help the cause, and for that I'm grateful. [1] https://www.c-span.org/video/?451963-1/google-apple-amazon-t...

Of course they're on the same page. They can afford the best lawyers and as much infrastructure as they need to fulfill the requirements, while every new competitor gets sued from all angles. I'd be very surprised if any of that regulation actually serves the user in any positive way.

I was talking about the Senators.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#145

Post by ummonk »

ng12 wrote: post #84
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there is also prestige associated to big names I hate that this has happened. The Bay Area used to be a place where working for the big, shiny company that makes your parents happy wasn't prestigious. It was safe. But taking a risk and starting something new was admired. The present state of affairs reminds me of Wall Street.

It was a little different when you could afford to buy a house in the Bay Area without $2m in the bank.

Yes, so much this. There is a very real opportunity cost to forgoing high salaries (and this opportunity cost is front-loaded as well since home prices keep appreciating).

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#146

Post by sp332 »

seq wrote: post #141
sp332 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You only get to see your own profile. It's a very useful tool to make sure you're not leaking data you people you'd rather not give it to.

Well, thanks to Facebooks "View As" functionality, I recently discovered that their privacy setting "Only Me" does not work for only me, if another person is tagged in the picture. Meaning that if I have a picture with my ex somewhere in profile, set to "Only Me", it actually means "Only me... and her".

Right, the interface isn't very clear but instead of "Only Me" it shows "Only Me (+)" and if you hover it says: "Only Me, Anyone tagged."

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#147

Post by BillinghamJ »

modeless wrote: post #51
sdwisely wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But it’s clear that attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code that impacted “View As”, a feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else. This allowed them to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people’s accounts oh boy, what a mess.

Isn't this the second time this feature has been exploited? I thought I remembered a similar issue from a while ago.

Yes, there have been other cases of exactly the same issue. I recall a case where it was possible to pretend to be people via the chat system while using “View as”.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#148

Post by vmchale »

dawhizkid wrote: post #9

Is it wrong to be glad FB's reputation has tarnished (and stock price sideways) over the past year or so? For so long they've monopolized the talent pool in the Bay Area. If more people decide 1) they don't want to work at FB and 2) FB employees are itching to leave then I see any stain on FB's employment brand as a net positive to the greater tech + startup ecosystem.

They pay like 2x more than competitors that aren't big tech companies.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#149

Post by prostoalex »

chalkandpaste wrote: post #61
tmh79 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

they havent monopolized talent, they pay for talent. Facebook paying high salaries has increased all of our pay, equity etc, whether you work there or not. The only thing this may be bad for is founders who are in a zero sum competition with FB for talent and now need to spend more money and equity to get it.

This is a very short-sighted view. Yes it has some immediate benefit in terms of pay, but you have to consider the long-term societal tradeoff of not developing addictive mental candy for people or developing societally useful technologies (or vice-versa, as it now stands). We can focussed on getting paid a lot now, or improving the wealth of everyone and generative the value we can all enjoy later.

> the long-term societal tradeoff of not developing addictive mental candy

Along with React, GraphQL and a bunch of other technologies with various degrees of popularity https://opensource.fb.com

Along with various startups building around the projects incubated at Facebook - Asana, Interana, Phacility, Qubole, etc.

Re: Facebook Network Breach Impacts Up to 50M Users

#150

Post by pymai »

erjohnson wrote: post #95

What are some secure Facebook Messenger alternatives to use? The only reason I currently have Facebook is because of the ease behind Messenger but I do not want to continue using their services. I also need to be able to convince my friends to try a different platform since I want to be able to continue to communicate with them. Any advice?

a good argument for switching to signal is that you can also use it to send sms messages, which means you don't have to switch between apps as much or at least lets you cut down on the amount of IM apps you have installed
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