If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads • Hacker News Board

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#31

Post by thejohnconway » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 1:54 PM UTC

workthrowaway wrote: post #20

vermilingua wrote: post #2

A surprise to exactly nobody. When are people going to stop rewarding the exploitative behavior of Facebook and its offspring?

the problem, as i see it, is not with data collection itself. because the larger public 1. does not care 2. does not seem concerned. 3. the collected data is deemed harmless to the user. what worries me is the sampling itself. or how diverse the sample is. using VR users data to draw any conclusion is misrepresenting the larger population. now if we are all into VR or use it, this might be different...

Most people do not understand how much is collected, how it can be connected, or how it is shared with random companies with no accountability. Often they are fairly shocked when specific examples are brought to light.

But there are lot of problems in the world, and none of us can be sure where to rank this one.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#32

Post by vonmoltke » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 1:57 PM UTC

ComodoHacker wrote: post #27

zxcb1 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. However, it is not apparent which inferences are possible to make with this kind of sensor data. How invasive might this become?

The article talks about 3D maps of user's environment. One can infer what kind of furniture and home appliances you have and use, for example.

The article also says Facebook claims that data is remaining local and will not be used for advertising.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#33

Post by ComodoHacker » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:09 PM UTC

vonmoltke wrote: post #32

ComodoHacker wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article talks about 3D maps of user's environment. One can infer what kind of furniture and home appliances you have and use, for example.

The article also says Facebook claims that data is remaining local and will not be used for advertising.

Facebook is well known for such claims, about Instagram, WhatsApp and other things. Data inference may very well be done locally.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#34

Post by LegitShady » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:17 PM UTC

dangoor wrote: post #29

When I bought an Oculus Quest, the fact that Oculus is owned by Facebook was slightly bothersome, but I honestly don't care a whole lot about this particular data at this particular time (basically just game playing). It's Facebook Horizon[1] that's the worrisome thing. I'm pretty sure they're trying to build the OASIS from Ready Player One. [1]: https://www.oculus.com/facebookhorizon/

It's interesting that you say the only data being collected is what you play and when.

Why do you think that? They have a lot of lose and movement data from you I bet theyve been spending a lot of time trying to develop inferences you can make from it.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#35

Post by CelestialTeapot » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:18 PM UTC

Sure, after spending hundreds of dollars on a device, it only seems fair that the vendor exploit your personal information so that credit companies and anyone willing and able to buy the data can compile a dossier on you.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#36

Post by LegitShady » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:18 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #21

John Carmack steps down from being CTO, and a month later this happens.

This has nothing to do with Carmack. Carmack being part of Oculus is a stain on Carmack and his reputation. Don't look to Carmack for moral guidance - he sold his soul to Facebook to develop VR and failed.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#37

Post by deogeo » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:20 PM UTC

workthrowaway wrote: post #20

vermilingua wrote: post #2

A surprise to exactly nobody. When are people going to stop rewarding the exploitative behavior of Facebook and its offspring?

the problem, as i see it, is not with data collection itself. because the larger public 1. does not care 2. does not seem concerned. 3. the collected data is deemed harmless to the user. what worries me is the sampling itself. or how diverse the sample is. using VR users data to draw any conclusion is misrepresenting the larger population. now if we are all into VR or use it, this might be different...

Good news! China has solved the problem by watching everyone, finally giving us what we all want - crushing levels of omnipresent surveillance, without any diversity-harming biased sampling. Because that's the worst part about surveillance - not how it's (often legally) abused by power, but how it's not fair for diversity.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#38

Post by patrickaljord » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:20 PM UTC

CelestialTeapot wrote: post #35

Sure, after spending hundreds of dollars on a device, it only seems fair that the vendor exploit your personal information so that credit companies and anyone willing and able to buy the data can compile a dossier on you.

Facebook does not sell data.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#39

Post by naniwaduni » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:22 PM UTC

patrickaljord wrote: post #38

CelestialTeapot wrote: post #35

Sure, after spending hundreds of dollars on a device, it only seems fair that the vendor exploit your personal information so that credit companies and anyone willing and able to buy the data can compile a dossier on you.

Facebook does not sell data.

Mostly because they find it more profitable to maintain their exclusivity on the data itself and sell only ad placements.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#40

Post by dangoor » Thu, Dec 12, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

LegitShady wrote: post #34

dangoor wrote: post #29

When I bought an Oculus Quest, the fact that Oculus is owned by Facebook was slightly bothersome, but I honestly don't care a whole lot about this particular data at this particular time (basically just game playing). It's Facebook Horizon[1] that's the worrisome thing. I'm pretty sure they're trying to build the OASIS from Ready Player One. [1]: https://www.oculus.com/facebookhorizon/

It's interesting that you say the only data being collected is what you play and when. Why do you think that? They have a lot of lose and movement data from you I bet theyve been spending a lot of time trying to develop inferences you can make from it.

Sure. They know I play Beat Saber and move pretty quickly while doing so. Maybe they'll try to sell me exercise stuff (though I rarely interact with Facebook and my browser setup is kind of aggressive when it comes to them).

They also know I'm shorter than Darth Vader. They know the size of a couple of our rooms.

I acknowledge there is data they can attempt to extract value from, but that data just doesn't concern me. As VR expands, particularly with Horizon, I will be a lot more wary.