Facebook confirms it is scanning your private messages to increase Likes

Post by tedunangst » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 5:02 AM UTC

greggman wrote: post #52

TomGullen wrote: post #40

To me, this is just standard privacy hyperbole that rears it's head every now and then. Anyone remember the headlines several years ago when "Google 'scans' your emails to serve targetted ads'? When was the last time you heard someone complain about that anymore? No one does, because it doesn't matter. Why should me sharing a link via a PM and my action be aggregated into an anonymous number worry me? How is the argu…

It's not the same thing. Let's say I'm a republicrat and I'm furiously sending private messages with links to democan sites showing my friends how evil I think they are. Except now I'm told every one of my links as just made those republicrat sites more liked an I'm helping make it look like they are more popular than they really are. Scanning emails to serve you ads does not leak information to the public indirectly…

Post by tedunangst » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 5:06 AM UTC

Volpe wrote: post #42

TomGullen wrote: post #40

To me, this is just standard privacy hyperbole that rears it's head every now and then. Anyone remember the headlines several years ago when "Google 'scans' your emails to serve targetted ads'? When was the last time you heard someone complain about that anymore? No one does, because it doesn't matter. Why should me sharing a link via a PM and my action be aggregated into an anonymous number worry me? How is the argu…

It's called a 'Private Message'. Seems to be misusing the word private. The gmail analogy is a little off, a closer one would be to compare to gtalk. Do google scan gtalk messages? Also what if the message is "This is so crap: " does that increase the like?

Post by nancyhua » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 5:26 AM UTC

tedunangst wrote: post #61

greggman wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the same thing. Let's say I'm a republicrat and I'm furiously sending private messages with links to democan sites showing my friends how evil I think they are. Except now I'm told every one of my links as just made those republicrat sites more liked an I'm helping make it look like they are more popular than they really are. Scanning emails to serve you ads does not leak information to the public indirectly…

Lesson learned: stop linking to evil content.

Post by tlrobinson » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 5:37 AM UTC

prodigal_erik wrote: post #24

k-mcgrady wrote: post #14

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.

Post by dumb-dumb » Fri, Oct 05, 2012, 5:44 AM UTC

tedunangst wrote: post #64

dumb-dumb wrote: post #56

The difference between Gmail and Facebook is that Gmail did not aim to track who you correspond with. Facebook is focussed on personally identifiable information. They have made it their business from Day 1 to know who your correspondents (friends) are _and_ to exploit that for profit. To my mind, this is not something Google set out to do. Although to compete with Facebook, I imagine they may have changed direction.…

Somehow gmail manages to auto suggest and complete email addresses for me. Sounds a lot like they tracking who I correspond with.