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Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

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Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#21
post #12

I know FB scans private messages. You cannot send links with certain domains without getting an error message. Sure, they don't have some dude in a cubical looking at each and every message, but if they are scanning for domains, how hard is it to scan for keywords within those private messages? Mention your new iPhone in a message, and you see ads for iPhone cases. Make a Tony Romo joke and you see ads for an RGIII j…

I mean, Gmail does the same thing....

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#22
post #17

Why are people still using Facebook anyway? I can only presume people that do simply don't care much about privacy because Facebook has proved time and time again that your privacy does not matter at all to them.

The users who are okay with Facebook have a different set of priorities than the detractors who have abandoned it.

Asking why people are still using Facebook is roughly similar to asking why people use 123456 as a password.

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#23

There's a reason I disable Facebook buttons on my browser and don't stick them on my own sites (including my blog). I don't trust Facebook with my browsing data, and I don't want to subject users of any website I work on to their abuse, either. "Move fast and break expectation of privacy"

how do you go about disabling facebook buttons?

I use http://ghostery.com as a Chrome extension. There's also http://disconnect.me, also extension based.

Then there's the more extreme route of using Tor for all browsing.

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#24

Doesn't sound like a big deal at all. There certainly aren't any privacy implications. When you send a link to a website via PM the 'like' counter on that page on that website will increase by one. Makes sense (not perfect though e.g. if you're directing a friend to something you don't like). It's not like the 'like' is then shared publicly to your friends not part of the private conversation.

They know who you are and what link you forwarded. The only thing keeping it out of the public eye is Facebook's discretion, and they have a track record of unpredictably disclosing more data about you without an opt-in.

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#25

There's a reason I disable Facebook buttons on my browser and don't stick them on my own sites (including my blog). I don't trust Facebook with my browsing data, and I don't want to subject users of any website I work on to their abuse, either. "Move fast and break expectation of privacy"

how do you go about disabling facebook buttons?

For Firefox, there is an Adblock subscription called "Antisocial" http://adblockplus.org/en/subscriptions (at the bottom of the page)

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#26

Doesn't sound like a big deal at all. There certainly aren't any privacy implications. When you send a link to a website via PM the 'like' counter on that page on that website will increase by one. Makes sense (not perfect though e.g. if you're directing a friend to something you don't like). It's not like the 'like' is then shared publicly to your friends not part of the private conversation.

They know who you are and what link you forwarded. The only thing keeping it out of the public eye is Facebook's discretion, and they have a track record of unpredictably disclosing more data about you without an opt-in.

Facebook would have that data even if they didn't use it for the like button count.

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#27

There's a reason I disable Facebook buttons on my browser and don't stick them on my own sites (including my blog). I don't trust Facebook with my browsing data, and I don't want to subject users of any website I work on to their abuse, either. "Move fast and break expectation of privacy"

how do you go about disabling facebook buttons?

Using ScriptNo(chrome plugin) in AntiSocial mode works too.

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#29
post #5

So if I send a PM to a friend on FB with a link and note that says, this is the lamest site ever the "Like" counter on the site goes up by one? That makes perfect sense.

Even better, I wonder what happens if I send a private message to all my "friends" with a link to my blog in it.

Did the like counter on my blog just go up by 500?

Re: Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

#30
post #17

Why are people still using Facebook anyway? I can only presume people that do simply don't care much about privacy because Facebook has proved time and time again that your privacy does not matter at all to them.

Your presumption is pretty much all I can think to rationalize it and that's just sad. This breach of privacy stuff is a slippery slope and Facebook will continue to chip away at it until it's gone. To help people remember I've started: http://pleasedeletefacebook.com
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