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Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

consumerreports.org

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Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#11

Post by legitster »

goenning wrote: post #8
legitster wrote: post #5

Link to the actual Consumer Reports report: https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/each-fac... So most of the data provided is probably coming in via the FB tracking pixel. I think the references to FB's "custom audiences" is a red herring - it's a very manual process and very few companies use that feature in any sort of scale. FB hashes the data that gets uploaded and specifically throws out extraneous…

I guess FB tracking pixels will no longer work when third-party cookies are removed from browsers. That seems like a massive hit for them if I understand it correctly (and a big W for us)

Yes and no. FB's tracking pixel can be both first and third party: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/471978536642445?id=12...

Getting rid of third-party support will mean FB doesn't get anonymous data from random website users - but if you are logged into FB or hit the page from a FB link, it would still be trackable as a first-party cookie.

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#13

Post by IronWolve »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #10
TacticalCoder wrote: post #9

Never had Instagram. Never had WhatsApp. Had an old Facebook account opened under a fake name, using a throwaway email (haven't opened it in six months, maybe more). That company is cancer.

That is a good start but unfortunately my understanding is that they will still have a data profile on you specifically. This is a problem for us all and we need regulation to solve it. And we probably need campaign finance reform to get people in power willing to regulate it.

Exactly, if your kid has an account, and she identified her mom, facebook will think her mom is your wife if at the same address. Those connections start to add up, add in they copied linkedin, your phone address books, email accounts, etc.

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#14

Post by leotravis10 »

Here's the actual piece over at The Markup which is very useful: https://themarkup.org/privacy/2024/01/17/each-facebook-user-...

Not suprised that their tracking pixel on websites and apps are the primary reason for this. They're not the only ones of course.

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#15

Post by leotravis10 »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #9

Never had Instagram. Never had WhatsApp. Had an old Facebook account opened under a fake name, using a throwaway email (haven't opened it in six months, maybe more). That company is cancer.

Even if you don't have a account, they still provide a "shadow profile" on you and it has been proven and admitted. https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/11/17225482/facebook-shadow-...

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#16

Post by [deleted] »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #10
TacticalCoder wrote: post #9

Never had Instagram. Never had WhatsApp. Had an old Facebook account opened under a fake name, using a throwaway email (haven't opened it in six months, maybe more). That company is cancer.

That is a good start but unfortunately my understanding is that they will still have a data profile on you specifically. This is a problem for us all and we need regulation to solve it. And we probably need campaign finance reform to get people in power willing to regulate it.

[deleted]

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#18

Post by Cheer2171 »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #9

Never had Instagram. Never had WhatsApp. Had an old Facebook account opened under a fake name, using a throwaway email (haven't opened it in six months, maybe more). That company is cancer.

Let me guess: you don't have a kid that goes to a school that only posts crucial news and updates to their Facebook page and you don't have a friend group that uses a WhatsApp group to plan events. Try explaining to the average human that you have a moral objection which means you can't install the same app everyone else has, and that everyone else needs to do a lot of work to accommodate you. One of my friend groups calls me a tech vegan, and not in a good way.

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#19

Post by hughesjj »

leotravis10 wrote: post #15
TacticalCoder wrote: post #9

Never had Instagram. Never had WhatsApp. Had an old Facebook account opened under a fake name, using a throwaway email (haven't opened it in six months, maybe more). That company is cancer.

Even if you don't have a account, they still provide a "shadow profile" on you and it has been proven and admitted. https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/11/17225482/facebook-shadow-...

Do they keep a shadow profile on you if you violate their TOS?

I'd assume not but that'd be a fun way to get off the proverbial list if possible

Re: Each Facebook user is monitored by thousands of companies

#20

Post by legitster »

legitster wrote: post #5

Link to the actual Consumer Reports report: https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/each-fac... So most of the data provided is probably coming in via the FB tracking pixel. I think the references to FB's "custom audiences" is a red herring - it's a very manual process and very few companies use that feature in any sort of scale. FB hashes the data that gets uploaded and specifically throws out extraneous…

Update: Having poked around my own FB privacy report, Consumer Reports is clearly using the data available in the "Advertisers using your activity or information" report.

There are a ton of random companies on here, but it's important to note that this is NOT data being sent to FB as the report implies. This particular report is just the number of times I have been matched to an uploaded list - the uploading company already had my contact information, and they were able to add me to an ad campaign. FB doesn't bring in new data via these match requests, and they really don't share information with advertisers outside of how many matches they got.

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