Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning • Hacker News Board

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#21

Post by Waterluvian » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:40 PM UTC

Apps using contacts is a $#%$ing anxiety attack for me. The scum companies don't care. They just want more leads. But for me, it's this fear that they're going to spam my exes and old roommates and bosses and professors and landlords and everyone who ends up added to my contacts.

Signal did that to me last week. This person I'm not on speaking terms with got Signal and it added us and announced to each other we were on it and put our empty conversation onto my list of convos.

Phone contact lists are a complete $&^*ing disaster and Apple needs to make it far more clear what specific contacts I share access to.

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#22

Post by numpad0 » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:41 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #19

bredren wrote: post #9

Clubhouse requires contact list in order to get invites, which are required to sign up right now. I get why they are doing this, and it caused me to share my contacts with them. However, I resented it and it put me immediately in a defensive posture with the product and company. There is no possible way to trust a company with your contact list and Apple should make it how Photos works now--where you can select which…

> Clubhouse requires contact list in order to get invites, which are required to sign up right now How is this GDPR compliant?

Why would you want to be GDPR compliant?

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#23

Post by nom » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:42 PM UTC

Hm can it be estimated / is there public information about how many phone numbers are taken? E.g. I generate a valid number for one country or state, how likely is it that the number is in use or registered?

I once got a phone call from a university student for a survey for their project and they told me they generate them randomly which makes me really wonder, how likely is it?

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#24

Post by IAmGraydon » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:43 PM UTC

o-__-o wrote: post #8

dustymcp wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesnt this defeat the purpose tho as it could be filtered?

The us government monitored all DC residents personal communication for over 2 years because they fat fingered the collection regex. The country code for Egypt is +20, the DC area code is 202.

You think that was a mistake, huh?

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#25

Post by grandinj » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:43 PM UTC

o-__-o wrote: post #8

dustymcp wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesnt this defeat the purpose tho as it could be filtered?

The us government monitored all DC residents personal communication for over 2 years because they fat fingered the collection regex. The country code for Egypt is +20, the DC area code is 202.

That is a mistake that sounds suspiciously self serving, given how many powerful people live and work there

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#26

Post by bdcravens » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:44 PM UTC

numpad0 wrote: post #22

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Clubhouse requires contact list in order to get invites, which are required to sign up right now How is this GDPR compliant?

Why would you want to be GDPR compliant?

To avoid substantial financial risk.

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#27

Post by tanelpoder » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:44 PM UTC

adsharma wrote: post #11

I wonder if people have thought about another variant of this. An app that maintains two address books and switches between them based on context.

Or just some form of "share only these contacts with app X" option at the device system/OS level.

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#28

Post by arminiusreturns » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

rasse wrote: post #6

This makes me wonder if anyone has set up canary emails or phone numbers in their phone contacts.

I create a new email for most services I use, (run my own email) but I had'nt thought of this! Thanks for the idea.

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#29

Post by drclau » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

numpad0 wrote: post #22

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Clubhouse requires contact list in order to get invites, which are required to sign up right now How is this GDPR compliant?

Why would you want to be GDPR compliant?

Because in European Union it is regulation, and you (as a company) are fined if you are not compliant.

I recommend having a look over the Wikipedia page on the subject:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regula...

Re: Fake_contacts: Android app to create fake phone contacts, to do data-poisoning

#30

Post by JMTQp8lwXL » Sat, Feb 27, 2021, 5:46 PM UTC

bredren wrote: post #9

Clubhouse requires contact list in order to get invites, which are required to sign up right now. I get why they are doing this, and it caused me to share my contacts with them. However, I resented it and it put me immediately in a defensive posture with the product and company. There is no possible way to trust a company with your contact list and Apple should make it how Photos works now--where you can select which…

It's disingenuous of them to say they "have to" do contact upload. Why can't I type in a phone number to invite? Completely hostile. Consequently, I have invited nobody.