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Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

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Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#131
post #4

Microsoft does this with Skype too. They say it's for detecting malicious links.

And all email into Office 365. Gets pulled into a sandboxed environment where items such as pdfs, in fact all attachments, are ‘exploded’ and all the links investigated ie executed and checked for malicious end points or payloads. I was in a meeting recently with someone from Microsoft where they explained this (I might be misrepresenting what she said, she was an expert in this field, and I’m definitely not). I was shocked though at the capability of the system to examine content so such an extent.

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#132
post #87

This will keep happening until they enable e2e. I’ve had Facebook block several links sent in private message groups, to completely legal and safe sites (Messenger prints out an obscure API error and refuses to send the content). They have done this for a long time.

Same can be done if e2e is enabled. Nothing prevents Facebook from sending links from client to a "validation" service. They do this already in WhatsApp for instance.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#134
post #99
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same can be done if e2e is enabled. Nothing prevents Facebook from sending links from client to a "validation" service. They do this already in WhatsApp for instance.

Maybe I'm being foolish, but isn't the point of e2e that Facebook wouldn't even know what you were sending (a link or otherwise), it being encrypted in flight?

Facebook can send the URLs from client to their service, that just bypasses the e2e channel and opens up a nice side channel for Facebook to peek into messages.

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp fetches a link preview on the sender's device before the message is encrypted, and packages it up with the message before sending. Depending on how exactly they implement the fetch, they may or may not know what links you sent.

At least links in PDF over WA didn't get visited from FB servers. I just personally tested it moments ago.

What's visiting the links? Your phone?

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This argument applies to any messenger app that claims e2e encryption. You could build signal from source. But how much do you trust your compiler?

I trust my compiler more than Facebook

For any value of “compiler.”

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#138

Facebook spies on everything you do. Stop using it. This is the only way this will end. It's not even a useful product. Stop being sheep.

I did, more than a decade ago. Do you think they stopped? How would I know there is no shadow profile being constantly updated?

It's apparently not my data and privacy and I have no say in it at all when someone uploads their goddamn contact list to these frickin' crooks. Is that your understanding too?

So This solution is not a solution. This solution only works if we stop other people from using it. How's that going to work? Well it isn't.

Cool? Now welcome to the "what regulation is appropriate" debate because this is clearly an example of market failure, same as national defence, same as national parks, same as pollution, same as any other. The sooner we treat "...using computers" exactly the same as any other industry the better. This is nuts.

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#139
post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was just a quick fix, but I agree with you on the e2e messaging service. However, I do wish more e2e services like Telegram would open source their backend. Looks like Signal does now at least!

Telegram is barely e2e.

Messages in plain text on the server? That's /not/ e2e at all! That's just a con. Advice: avoid telegram completely, always.

Or is my news old and that's no longer the case?

Re: Facebook crawls links in PDFs you send in Messenger

#140
post #138

Facebook spies on everything you do. Stop using it. This is the only way this will end. It's not even a useful product. Stop being sheep.

I did, more than a decade ago. Do you think they stopped? How would I know there is no shadow profile being constantly updated? It's apparently not my data and privacy and I have no say in it at all when someone uploads their goddamn contact list to these frickin' crooks. Is that your understanding too? So This solution is not a solution. This solution only works if we stop other people from using it. How's that goin…

> This solution is not a solution.

No, not a complete solution, but it's a step in the right direction. One of the reasons advertisers as well as ordinary users come to FB is to be in contact with you -- to have your attention. Stop using FB and you take that away. FB ends up with less of an audience with which to entice others.

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