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New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

reuters.com

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Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#11

Post by ams6110 »

snarf21 wrote: post #9
awalton wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cambridge Analytica is not defunct, but rather changed its name to Emerdata. Not technically correct, but basically the truth. Cambridge Analytica declared bankrupcy in May of last year and the creators of that company created Emerdata and rehired many previous employees of Cambridge Analytica. Their HQ is even in the same exact building. They're just playing the shell game, really. "Oh no, we're not the bad guys,…

Just like Accenture did.... not a new playbook but memory fails.

If you're thinking of Enron, Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen were even before then pretty much separate entities and in some cases were competitors. Andersen Consulting formally completed the separation from Arthur Andersen and became Accenture in 2000, a year or so before Arthur Andersen collapsed in the Enron scandal.

Disclosure: Worked for Andersen Consulting early in my career.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#12

Post by NeedMoreTea »

awalton wrote: post #8
politician wrote: post #4

nit, > Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over privacy issues, including a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation into disclosures that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with the defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica is not defunct, but rather changed its name to Emerdata. It's too bad Reuters didn't…

> Cambridge Analytica is not defunct, but rather changed its name to Emerdata. Not technically correct, but basically the truth. Cambridge Analytica declared bankrupcy in May of last year and the creators of that company created Emerdata and rehired many previous employees of Cambridge Analytica. Their HQ is even in the same exact building. They're just playing the shell game, really. "Oh no, we're not the bad guys,…

The trouble is, it works. Depressingly well.

Every story out there is about Cambridge Analytica, only a tiny proportion have been written recently enough to mention the phoenix. Yet they often won't, or give entirely the wrong impression like TFA here (defunct - oh that's a relief it's all over then). The number of old pieces that have had an update is so low as to be effectively none.

So we have to wait for the next scandal.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#13

Post by chmaynard »

Ever wonder why Facebook is giving everyone on earth so much free software and processing power? They seem to be making money, how do they do it?

[10 minutes of deep thought]

Ok, we get it. If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way.

Edit: If a for-profit company offers you something of value at no cost, you or someone else will end up paying for it later. Advertisers pay Facebook for your personal data, and you suffer because your privacy has been violated.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#14

Post by alex_chang »

dillondoyle wrote: post #6

I assume this is other apps using FBs analytics toolset? Where I can send a custom event with {email:dillondoyle@gmail.com, data: {likes_dogs: 1, likes_cats: 0}} or what they are mad about is {weight: 120, has_hiv:0} ? IDK seems silly to me or maybe I'm in too deep and can't see the forest for the trees.

Yup. Next story that's going to come out is how Google is "doing the same thing" via Google Analytics etc.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#15

Post by chiefalchemist »

> "The report said that the company can access data in some cases even when the user is not signed into Facebook or does not have a Facebook account."

I realize frivolous comments on HN are frowned upon but frankly this leaves me speechless.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#16

Post by etxm »

awalton wrote: post #8
politician wrote: post #4

nit, > Facebook is facing a slew of lawsuits and regulatory inquiries over privacy issues, including a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation into disclosures that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million users with the defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica is not defunct, but rather changed its name to Emerdata. It's too bad Reuters didn't…

> Cambridge Analytica is not defunct, but rather changed its name to Emerdata. Not technically correct, but basically the truth. Cambridge Analytica declared bankrupcy in May of last year and the creators of that company created Emerdata and rehired many previous employees of Cambridge Analytica. Their HQ is even in the same exact building. They're just playing the shell game, really. "Oh no, we're not the bad guys,…

> Well, actually...

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#17

Post by hrktb »

chmaynard wrote: post #13

Ever wonder why Facebook is giving everyone on earth so much free software and processing power? They seem to be making money, how do they do it? [10 minutes of deep thought] Ok, we get it. If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way. Edit: If a for-profit company offers you something of value at no cost, you or someone else will end up paying for it later. Advert…

> If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way.

You are explicitely asking people to think for themselves and understand what’s going on. From this point of view I think that last bit feels mantra like and going on the opposite.

The same way “if you’re not the customer you’re the product” was relevant in some cases but has started a life on its own and could go continue a long life in a farm upstate I think.

We’re in a world when there is genuine free and extremely valuable things that are not bound to weird schemes. Linux is free, VLC is free, vaccination is free, legal representation for people who can’t afford it is free.

As you point out knowing why it’s free is crucial, and people should take the time to think bout what they want to rely on, instead of following some “don’t talk to strangers” kind of stopgap.

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#18

Post by jniedrauer »

chmaynard wrote: post #13

Ever wonder why Facebook is giving everyone on earth so much free software and processing power? They seem to be making money, how do they do it? [10 minutes of deep thought] Ok, we get it. If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way. Edit: If a for-profit company offers you something of value at no cost, you or someone else will end up paying for it later. Advert…

> If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way.

Where does free software fit in this?

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#19

Post by blurbleblurble »

jniedrauer wrote: post #18
chmaynard wrote: post #13

Ever wonder why Facebook is giving everyone on earth so much free software and processing power? They seem to be making money, how do they do it? [10 minutes of deep thought] Ok, we get it. If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way. Edit: If a for-profit company offers you something of value at no cost, you or someone else will end up paying for it later. Advert…

> If someone offers you something of value for free, politely say "no thanks" and run the other way. Where does free software fit in this?

Incidentally, a lot of people do say "no thanks" and run the other way when presented with free (as in freedom) software

Re: New York governor orders probe into Facebook access to data from other apps

#20

Post by kekebo »

dillondoyle wrote: post #6

I assume this is other apps using FBs analytics toolset? Where I can send a custom event with {email:dillondoyle@gmail.com, data: {likes_dogs: 1, likes_cats: 0}} or what they are mad about is {weight: 120, has_hiv:0} ? IDK seems silly to me or maybe I'm in too deep and can't see the forest for the trees.

if this is related to the Facebook Mobile SDK it seems that it is sending a lot of data home by default and that setting it up for ethical data collection isn't straightforward for most developers[0]

[0] at least for android, based on this talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0vlD7r-kTc (35C3 - How Facebook tracks you on Android)

edit: add video title

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