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A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

techcrunch.com

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Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#151

Post by jacobush »

ajxs wrote: post #121
jacobush wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren’t we already at a tipping point where your FB identity effectively is your real identity? For many purposes the companies don’t have to care your ”real” identity

No, not really. I don't apply for jobs, book flights or vote with my Facebook account. I'm not concerned with what kind of insights that Facebook can infer from a fake Mickey Mouse account. I'm concerned about the possibility of being discriminated against in the real world based upon data gleamed from my online interactions.

You can get discriminated when booking flights though and you get selective propaganda through your FB account though... so you individually may not be affected but your group, whatever that is, may be.

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#152

Post by keymone »

wodenokoto wrote: post #132
bubble_talk wrote: post #127

So let us say I go to some page which lists some "potentially well off" folks, like this one: https://github.com/orgs/google/people or this: https://github.com/orgs/microsoft/people or even this :-) https://github.com/orgs/facebook/people Given GitHub actually even provides a convenient, public, unauthenticated API, it makes it even more easy: https://api.github.com/orgs/facebook/public_members And then I match it wi…

Couldn’t you already match those lists against the phone book?

What’s a phone book?

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#153

Post by dwild »

taneq wrote: post #105
Tade0 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would rather not share the details here, but I know of one instance of a person having been found on Facebook via her phone number even though she never provided it - just one imprudent person who has your number associated with your real full name is enough for this to happen.

It’s like when you upload a photo with your friend (who doesn’t use Facebook) and it pops up ‘Did you want to tag [friend]?’

> ‘Did you want to tag [friend]?

You can tag someone that isn't on Facebook? I'm pretty sure the box use Facebook accounts...

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#154

Post by auiya »

Barrin92 wrote: post #46
cm2012 wrote: post #44

Wow, a phone book. Do HN readers know you can buy lists of millions of people's names and phone numbers from companies whose sole purpose is collecting them, like infogroup?

depends on the jurisdiction. In Germany this is a grey area or outright forbidden depending on the case, and this dump apparently contains numbers from numerous jurisdictions. Also, needlessly to say someone who gives facebook their phone number for verification purposes does likely not expect that the data is leaked or sold without their permission.

> needlessly to say someone who gives facebook their phone number for verification purposes does likely not expect that the data is leaked or sold without their permission.

Sadly, this isn't the case anymore. People absolutely expect companies to sell or leak every last bit of PII data they have on all their customers now.

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#155

Post by lovecg »

bubble_talk wrote: post #127

So let us say I go to some page which lists some "potentially well off" folks, like this one: https://github.com/orgs/google/people or this: https://github.com/orgs/microsoft/people or even this :-) https://github.com/orgs/facebook/people Given GitHub actually even provides a convenient, public, unauthenticated API, it makes it even more easy: https://api.github.com/orgs/facebook/public_members And then I match it wi…

Yeah but who answers calls from unknown numbers anymore? It’s pretty much 99% spam already.

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#157

Post by gatherhunterer »

ineedasername wrote: post #79
gatherhunterer wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article says that each entry has an ID associated with a Facebook account. What leads you to think that there are entries in this dataset for non-users?

It's well known that Facebook collects information on non users as well, frequently called "shadow profiles.", Zuck admitted as much to Congress although he claimed not to know what shadow profile meant. [0] Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear, but it also isn't something the parent comment claimed. [0] https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-...

That is exactly what the parent comment claimed.

> You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook.

Shadow profiles are old news. The suspect claim is that the parent comment is more informed on this database than the source that published it.

> Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear

Yes it is. According to the source this particular public data dump consists only of entries with IDs linked a Facebook account.

> Each record contained a user’s unique Facebook ID and the phone number listed on the account. A user’s Facebook ID is typically a long, unique and public number associated with their account

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#158

Post by ineedasername »

gatherhunterer wrote: post #157
ineedasername wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's well known that Facebook collects information on non users as well, frequently called "shadow profiles.", Zuck admitted as much to Congress although he claimed not to know what shadow profile meant. [0] Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear, but it also isn't something the parent comment claimed. [0] https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-...

That is exactly what the parent comment claimed. > You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook. Shadow profiles are old news. The suspect claim is that the parent comment is more informed on this database than the source that published it. > Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear Yes it is. According to the source this partic…

I don't see why shadow profiles couldn't use the same ID system. why not?

For the parent comment saying they were in the data set: My initial interpretation was they meant if one Facebook user had done so, and you were also a Facebook user, whether or not you had provided your #, it was now associate with you. Your interpretation might be correct though.

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#159

Post by wmeredith »

Yuval_Halevi wrote: post #133

Facebook is proving itself over and over again as a company who don't care at all about their users. the amount of data scandals they had in the last few years is insane

They care greatly about their users-advertisers. Their product on the other hand-people with Facebook accounts-are to be sold to the highest bidder.

Re: A database of Facebook users’ phone numbers found online

#160

Post by paulddraper »

wodenokoto wrote: post #132
bubble_talk wrote: post #127

So let us say I go to some page which lists some "potentially well off" folks, like this one: https://github.com/orgs/google/people or this: https://github.com/orgs/microsoft/people or even this :-) https://github.com/orgs/facebook/people Given GitHub actually even provides a convenient, public, unauthenticated API, it makes it even more easy: https://api.github.com/orgs/facebook/public_members And then I match it wi…

Couldn’t you already match those lists against the phone book?

If you knew their locality.
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