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Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

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Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#211

Post by valuearb »

godelski wrote: post #75
xmprt wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't they fingerprint the device? The fact that Zoom was launched on a specific device is still a lot more information than I would be comfortable giving up if I don't use Facebook at all.

It looks like they are fingerprinting the device. Which means that if you have facebook but don't install the phone app, that your phone can be connected with your account and then you can be tracked across the web. There are also, of course, the facebook shadow accounts. Information connected with fingerprints, but not associated with a facebook account.

If they are it's against Apple's rules. Not sure what they are using to fingerprint anyways, given Apple has blocked access to the older system values that were being used.

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#212

Post by tyingq »

This is really somewhat sad, as it seems unneeded provided they have the funds to wait out the IT approval cycle.

They are handily beating WebEx, MS Teams, etc, on basic shit like showing more than four video feeds from participants, dealing with low bandwidth connections, etc.

Feels like they are doing revenue grabs too early. A little more patience and the contracts will roll in. Especially given how many stodgy companies are newly coming to terms with the WFH need.

Maybe temporarily extend the free plan from 45 minute meetings to 1 hour and grab some market share?

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#213

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

detaro wrote: post #133
SlowRobotAhead wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve long since given up trying to figure out why HN goes and goes against certain things. The vote system here is one of the clearest examples of “let’s build a bubble” that I can think of. There is no way Zoom is just sending secret data to FB out of the evilness (because it’s not goodness!) of their hearts for fun. So someone is trading value somewhere.

Obviously someone at Zoom thinks they get value out if it. But that's quite different from "this is a revenue source", which would suggest Facebook paying money for it. Your typical company will happily put a tracking SDK in so some marketers get some more graphs to look at in Facebook Analytics.

How do you know if it isn’t a revenue stream?

I guess I’m thinking that if this information that Zoom (a publicly traded company) was doing this, it would be bad for business, so doing it just optionally for fun, seems like all risk and that an appropriate reward would be a financial incentive.

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#215

Post by FridgeSeal »

gazzini wrote: post #82
leggomylibro wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's past time for us to get serious and apply HIPAA-style protection to the storage and transmission of PII, without exemptions. Companies like Facebook will complain loudly that they won't be able to survive, but that is not our problem. If we pass legislation with teeth, they will need to change their business model. That would be the point.

I disagree with this — more regulation will make it harder to innovate. For example, I’ve met several founders who wanted to enable tele-medicine years ago but decided against it because “the lawyers cost more than the engineers”, and walking-on-eggshells destroys morale & iteration speed. I’m not arguing to de-regulate heath data — my point is that we should selectively apply regulation. It’s likely a great thing to…

Necessity is the mother of invention.

If the only way your business can survive is carte-blanche regulations around privacy and security, and you fall over the instant that's threatened, one: maybe your business doesn't deserve to survive, and two: maybe you didn't build a very good business.

Niche online forums and all the examples you list there survived (and indeed thrived) in the days before rampant data collection, I have no doubt they'd evolve and survive once again.

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#216

Post by koyote »

rococode wrote: post #200

If you have a Facebook account and are curious what other apps and websites are sending data about you to Facebook, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/off_facebook_activity/activity_list (click the area with the various app & website icons to expand into a more detailed view) I was pretty surprised the first time I came across that list, there are a lot of apps on there that I never did a Facebook login wi…

So I do not have facebook installed on my phone but I do have instagram and whatsapp.

A large amount of phone apps seem to appear in that list. I guess Whatsapp/Instagram creates a fingerprint of my device and then uses that for tracking?

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#217

Post by duxup »

mpclark wrote: post #62
st3fan wrote: post #26

EVERY. SINGLE. APP. THAT. INCLUDES. THE. FACEBOOK. SDK. Even if you don't log in. The Facebook SDK sends data back. Hook your device up to an intercepting proxy and start up a few apps. 99% of them do this. I really wish Apple would put an end to this.

I’m surprised Zoom is happy for Facebook to know exactly who its customers are. This is information that could be used against the company at some point, for example if FB made a video conferencing play.

A lot of companies had data sharing deals with Facebook, I assume they get something out of it themselves.

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#218

Post by daemonspudguy »

koyote wrote: post #216
rococode wrote: post #200

If you have a Facebook account and are curious what other apps and websites are sending data about you to Facebook, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/off_facebook_activity/activity_list (click the area with the various app & website icons to expand into a more detailed view) I was pretty surprised the first time I came across that list, there are a lot of apps on there that I never did a Facebook login wi…

So I do not have facebook installed on my phone but I do have instagram and whatsapp. A large amount of phone apps seem to appear in that list. I guess Whatsapp/Instagram creates a fingerprint of my device and then uses that for tracking?

They are both owned by Facebook, so yes

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#219

Post by cloverich »

tdstein wrote: post #34
st3fan wrote: post #26

EVERY. SINGLE. APP. THAT. INCLUDES. THE. FACEBOOK. SDK. Even if you don't log in. The Facebook SDK sends data back. Hook your device up to an intercepting proxy and start up a few apps. 99% of them do this. I really wish Apple would put an end to this.

This! It isn't just Zoom. It's a known "feature" of the Facebook SDK.

I would wager some or most developers do not realize that when they add a login with Facebook button, they are also sending analytics data for _all_ users to Facebook. It is, imho, a very dark pattern.

Re: Zoom iOS app sends data to Facebook even if you don’t have a Facebook account

#220

Post by Spooky23 »

dahfizz wrote: post #191
godelski wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The problem they point out is that well intentioned businesspeople who want to provide you a useful service and store your data correctly are priced out. Then the way to do this is to simplify laws and their understanding. A company shouldn't need a large legal team just to figure out if they are doing something legal or not. It kinda sounds ridiculous when you think about it. That you have to hire a bunch of lawye…

I completely agree with you. The legal system is entirely out of reach for the average citizen, and this is something we should fix. However, us wanting things to be a certain way doesn't change how things are. If Congress passed a "Data Protection Act" it would be indecipherable, full of technical illiteracy, and heavily influenced by the richest lobbyists (Facebook and Amazon, anyone?). This is my objection. I woul…

That’s bullshit. The federal government is able to produce a lot of useful technical regulation and guidance.

Hell the whole infosec policy framework used everywhere is built off of NIST 800-53.

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