Live data from Hacker News

As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

nytimes.com

21–30 of 205 posts

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#21
post #10
post #6

“Among the revelations was that Facebook obtained data from multiple partners for a controversial friend-suggestion tool called “People You May Know.” The feature, introduced in 2008, continues even though some Facebook users have objected to it, unsettled by its knowledge of their real-world relationships. Gizmodo and other news outlets have reported cases of the tool’s recommending friend connections between patien…

> Spotify, which could view messages of more than 70 million users a month, still offers the option to share music through Facebook Messenger. Not sure why the others needed it

Spotify doesn’t need to read your DMs to let you message share links, either.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#22

Would MZ ever face criminal charges?

No. The laws under which he might possibly be charged are never applied to billionaires or those with sufficient connections in military or government.

The rules for you and I are not the same rules for Zuckerberg or Clapper.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#23
post #21
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Spotify, which could view messages of more than 70 million users a month, still offers the option to share music through Facebook Messenger. Not sure why the others needed it

Spotify doesn’t need to read your DMs to let you message share links, either.

That's what that article had - on Googling it looks like Spotify makes suggestions in messenger when talking about music as well.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/14/16143354/facebook-messeng...

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#24
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Facebook also allowed Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada to read, write and delete users’ private messages, and to see all participants on a thread. At this point it’s hard to dispute that at Facebook “private” is synonymous with “public” for most practical purposes.

Shared under NDA with business relationships is not “public” for the common use of the term. Although I agree with your sentiment, your statement isn’t really accurate. Otherwise I would be able to read Spotify users’ facebook DMs, and I can’t.

You’re kidding, right? If I send a “private” message, but everybody from law enforcement to my bank has access to it, it’s not private. It’s public knowledge as far as any background checks or loan applications are concerned. By contrast, if my bank worked out a deal with Bell where they get to record my all phone conversations they would still be committing a felony in almost all jurisdictions, NDA or not. That’s a reasonable example of “private” communications.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#25
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Facebook also allowed Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada to read, write and delete users’ private messages, and to see all participants on a thread. At this point it’s hard to dispute that at Facebook “private” is synonymous with “public” for most practical purposes.

Shared under NDA with business relationships is not “public” for the common use of the term. Although I agree with your sentiment, your statement isn’t really accurate. Otherwise I would be able to read Spotify users’ facebook DMs, and I can’t.

It's up for sale to commercial entities who pays up, and available to law enforcement with no legal expectation of privacy. That's public for the common use of the term.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#26
post #6

“Among the revelations was that Facebook obtained data from multiple partners for a controversial friend-suggestion tool called “People You May Know.” The feature, introduced in 2008, continues even though some Facebook users have objected to it, unsettled by its knowledge of their real-world relationships. Gizmodo and other news outlets have reported cases of the tool’s recommending friend connections between patien…

One possibility would be that Facebook users were supposed to be able to read, write, and delete their own chat messages via custom chat clients built by Spotify, Netflix, and so on.

If so, the New York Times is throwing shade on Facebook basically for not being enough of a walled garden. I hope their journalists are not that confused?

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#27

Whoa! This makes sense now. "and gave Netflix and Spotify the ability to read Facebook users’ private messages" When I watched 21 on Netflix, Facebook Messenger on my phone suggested to play blackjack, literally the hour after.

That's the reverse direction.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#28

It is absolutely obscene how much of a breach of trust and decency these are. Facebook still hasn't fully come clean because they knew they were doing unsavory activities and just wanted to not get caught and keep getting away with it.

I’m sure Zuck will offer a heartfelt apology.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#29
post #6

“Among the revelations was that Facebook obtained data from multiple partners for a controversial friend-suggestion tool called “People You May Know.” The feature, introduced in 2008, continues even though some Facebook users have objected to it, unsettled by its knowledge of their real-world relationships. Gizmodo and other news outlets have reported cases of the tool’s recommending friend connections between patien…

> to read, write and delete users’ private messages

I wonder if the delete permission was by accident or whether these companies were actively deleting private messages - craziness.

Re: As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants

#30
post #6

“Among the revelations was that Facebook obtained data from multiple partners for a controversial friend-suggestion tool called “People You May Know.” The feature, introduced in 2008, continues even though some Facebook users have objected to it, unsettled by its knowledge of their real-world relationships. Gizmodo and other news outlets have reported cases of the tool’s recommending friend connections between patien…

There was also version for politicians "animals you may own" that's why Facebook has not shit down yet.
Post reply on HN