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DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

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Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#101

Post by anaphor »

adzm wrote: post #86

Regarding selenium, is there a better way to wait for a specific state or element etc rather than simply sleep for a few seconds?

I'm working on fixing that, however it's a bit tricky because Facebook does some very weird things with Javascript that seem to interfere with Selenium. In particular, the only way I could get it to actually focus on the "Delete" button was by dropping down to Javascript. I'm not sure why this was. I also ran into issues with the Gecko driver initially where I couldn't get it to open the delete menu at all.

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#102

Post by VectorLock »

jefftk wrote: post #90
echelon wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is the case as well. All the big companies are doing immutable, append-only event logging and probably have no mechanism to expunge this data. All because storage is cheap and they need to hold on to everything for testing or whatever future need that might arise. What a pitiful dystopia we're living in.

> All the big companies are doing immutable, append-only event logging and probably have no mechanism to expunge this data. All because storage is cheap and they need to hold on to everything for testing or whatever future need that might arise. This is not true at all. Here's a recent HN discussion that talks about how Google handles this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19809259 (Disclosure: I work for Google,…

So according to you Google will propagate deletes, but you don't know how/if its deleted from cold/offline/long term storage?

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#103

Post by penagwin »

traek wrote: post #15
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #6

I don't trust the "delete" button to scrub it from FB's database. I'd be slightly more confident ( slightly ) that editing the post might cause the core data in the db to be updated, however. In which case, I think the more effective script would be one that goes through all of your FB posts and scrambles them, or replaces the text with gibberish.

> I'd be slightly more confident (slightly) that editing the post might cause the core data in the db to be updated I'd be much less confident, considering that they explicitly save and make public post's edit history.

This is the case with many other online platforms (such as reddit) in that the original content of a post is still reachable if it was deleted, so a common method is to "scrub" edit your posts then delete them.

However at Facebook's size, and given they're known for 0 privacy, they likely track all changes anyway.

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#104

Post by wybiral »

kerng wrote: post #79
echelon wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is the case as well. All the big companies are doing immutable, append-only event logging and probably have no mechanism to expunge this data. All because storage is cheap and they need to hold on to everything for testing or whatever future need that might arise. What a pitiful dystopia we're living in.

GDPR required companies to add features to append only systems to allow for true deletion (usually with something like a 30 day delay). Not sure how many actually did that, but to be compliant append only does not fly. I was on a product that did exactly that for data lakes.

I wonder how that works with Facebook's Blu-Ray cold storage [1]. Are optical disks treated like paper documents or is it still considered electronic storage?

[1] http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/meetings/documents/storag...

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#106

Post by 2Ccltvcm »

Some sure fire ways to get your account actually deleted, and quickly: post large amounts of hardcore porn, extreme gore, and anything that puts Jews in a negative light like Nazi symbols combined with the prior two methods. The moderation team will nuke your accounts very efficiently.

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#107

Post by Helloworldboy »

2Ccltvcm wrote: post #106

Some sure fire ways to get your account actually deleted, and quickly: post large amounts of hardcore porn, extreme gore, and anything that puts Jews in a negative light like Nazi symbols combined with the prior two methods. The moderation team will nuke your accounts very efficiently.

Yeah that’s exactly what I want to spam all over a network filled with my friends and family

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#108

Post by 2Ccltvcm »

dbg31415 wrote: post #43

Wait about a week, guessing this won't work if it builds up any significant traction. I want the ability to delete everything after some period of time. Every message I send, every message I receive, I want it all to work like conversation -- not contracts. I don't want someone digging up an email from the past where I said something stupid in a moment of anger, or frustration. If all tech worked like Snap Chat, or S…

Oversec might be able to help you

https://www.oversec.io

Re: DeleteFB: Selenium script to delete all of your Facebook wall posts

#109

Post by saddlerustle »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #6

I don't trust the "delete" button to scrub it from FB's database. I'd be slightly more confident ( slightly ) that editing the post might cause the core data in the db to be updated, however. In which case, I think the more effective script would be one that goes through all of your FB posts and scrambles them, or replaces the text with gibberish.

Lots of people in this thread are claiming that it doesn't based on gut feeling, but consider:

- Facebook publicly claims it does [1]

- Mark Zuckerberg testified in-front of congress and stated they do [2]

- Multiple government regulators have specifically checked that it does in their privacy audits. [3]

They might be lying and actively conspiring to not delete it, but they'd have to have a very good reason to take on that much legal risk.

Now, consider:

- A infinitesimal fraction of facebook users try to delete anything.

- Facebook makes money from your data by showing you ads. If you stop using facebook, you stop generating any revenue and your data becomes a liability, not an asset.

What reason would there be to lie about it?

[1] https://facebook.com/help/250563911970368

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/10...

[3] https://www.pdpjournals.com/docs/87980.pdf

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