Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#271

Post by stordoff » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:47 AM UTC

IntronExon wrote: post #189

baby wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you message them you can know

If you’re relying on active messaging, why bother with FB?

For me, it's basically network effects - FB is already set up, I can find people quickly (I don't have alternative contact details for some people), I know the recipients active use FB so will see it, and it's easier to send long messages on PC rather than a mobile device.

I also tend to need to message people at odd hours, and a Facebook notification feels less intrusive/urgent than, e.g., an SMS.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#272

Post by cm2187 » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:53 AM UTC

Analemma_ wrote: post #74

ReidZB wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I realize that the proper solution is to terminate my account and never attempt to log back in.... but I've had my account since 2006 and despite the company's terrible practices, I'm really not interested in disconnecting for good at this time Well, that's the real problem, isn't it? If users aren't punishing Facebook by leaving the platform in droves, then what incentive does Facebook have to stop its consistentl…

> The good news (for those of us that don't like Facebook) is that it seems like users are leaving it—or at least that's the picture I get from stories/comments submitted here on HN. This is good news in the long term, but in the short- and medium-terms it means Facebook is going to get desperate and start deploying more and more dark patterns like the one the GP is talking about. Considering their reach, I shudder t…

I think that’s actually the case. In the many years I used facebook I don’t think I received a single email from them (only from that shitty trip advisor fb app that was spamming me like there was no tomorrow). Like many others here I got annoyed by my facebook feed and simply deleted the facebook app from my smartphone which means I now only connect once a week or less. Almost immediatly I started receiving a lot of facebook spam on my email. Clearly they have an algorithm “shit this user is leaving, let’s try to get him back” (algorithm which effect was only to aggravate my annoyance level). They must be worried about that.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#273

Post by cm2187 » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:56 AM UTC

ASalazarMX wrote: post #19

SamLevin88 wrote: post #4

Finally, somewhere I can appropriately vent about this. About TWO years ago I was constantly annoyed by the 'secure your account: add your phone number here' banner frequently displayed at the top of the page upon loading FB, so I input my number to make it disappear for good. (Also, they kept hiding the 'x' (close) icon in different spots, making the banner difficult to dismiss.) A few days later I got a text messag…

> I realize that the proper solution is to terminate my account and never attempt to log back in I've had a "terminated" account that occasionally gets emails inviting me to "Log back in with one click". When I originally tried to delete the account, it told me it would be actually erased a month after. That was 6 years ago.

Surely GDPR will force them to actually delete the account when you terminate it (+/- mandatory data retention requirements).

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#274

Post by mukundmr » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:56 AM UTC

perfectstorm wrote: post #260

creator_lol wrote: post #254

Facebook Insider: That is nothing compared to how Facebook uses your phone number on a another persons contact list then aligns that with cookie activity on your computer to get friend recommendations to other accounts that are unrelated to your phone number. The use of your personal phone number internally at Facebook is perverse.

If you block Contacts access on your phone (iOS/Android) can Faceboook still access your contacts ? Are you aware of any loopholes that lets Facebook access someone's contacts ?

WhatsApp says hello!

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#275

Post by pentae » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:57 AM UTC

saguro wrote: post #157

SamLevin88 wrote: post #4

Finally, somewhere I can appropriately vent about this. About TWO years ago I was constantly annoyed by the 'secure your account: add your phone number here' banner frequently displayed at the top of the page upon loading FB, so I input my number to make it disappear for good. (Also, they kept hiding the 'x' (close) icon in different spots, making the banner difficult to dismiss.) A few days later I got a text messag…

That thing facebook does with demanding your phone number, that's my favorite dark pattern. Apple does the same thing with iOS upgrades. First you pose a seemingly innocent question, like 'would you like to give us your phone number so we can keep your account secure?' or 'would you like to upgrade to new iOS?'. Then you take away the NO option. You replace it with 'i'll decide later'. And by doing so, you make it no…

Same thing that they've done with the new Wifi toggle on the quick menu on iOS 11. You CANNOT turn off Wifi. It just "Disables it temporarily". They do this so that when you are home and your phones plugged in and on do not disturb its automatically downloading updates over Wifi again. This was the final straw for me.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#276

Post by rypskar » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:58 AM UTC

rectang wrote: post #215

tmnvix wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Email, SMS, and actual phone calls satisfy almost all of my communication needs. The only problem I have is about once every few weeks someone wants me to Skype/Hangout/Facetime/whatever-the-other-video-chat-options-are. I really wish video chat was handled by telecoms in the same way phone calls are. Standard and ubiquitous.

For small video calls (especially just 2 people), a WebRTC system like https://appear.in is good enough and avoids lockin.

On appear.in I get a message telling me I don't have access after allowing access to camera when I use Firefox, so seems to be another site who is Chrome only

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#277

Post by brianpan » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 7:59 AM UTC

a-priori wrote: post #51

tomc1985 wrote: post #35

Seriously, why do the rank-and-file of Facebook engineering allow this to happen? Does anyone stand up to their employers anymore? Or does everyone just drink the koolaid and ask no questions?

These things are never spelled out in any plans. They're done piecemeal, by separate teams, incrementally over long development cycles. One team implements 2FA, and they add a way for users to enter their phone numbers as a second factor. The engineers are fine with this because it's for the users' benefit, so they can secure their account. Another team implements the mobile notifications, which a user has to turn on…

Occam's razor suggests otherwise.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#278

Post by stordoff » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 8:01 AM UTC

Faaak wrote: post #117

reaperducer wrote: post #60

Things like this are the reason that when a company starts spamming me, I update my account with the company's own information. I started when no matter how many times I tried to unsubscribe, Walgreens kept using my phone number (which is supposed to be used to verify that the right person is getting the prescription) to spam me flu shot notices, auto-refill offers, and more. So now those robocalls go to Walgreens HQ…

I do the same with B2B email spam. Just give another spammer's info, so company A spams company B, B spams C, etc. I've got a small list with CEOs emails, numbers, etc. Not legal, but I like it

For a while, you'd be asked for your post code when buying TV equipment (UK). Whilst it wasn't a legal requirement to provide, a lot of places would be really awkward about it if you didn't. I took a small amount of satisfaction in providing the Downing Street post code.

It's now no longer an issue as companies aren't required to ask for and forward that data to TVL so they don't ask (and I'm probably ordering online so they have it anyway).

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#279

Post by jmanderley » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 8:05 AM UTC

r00fus wrote: post #221

Giroflex wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I first opened up the Netflix mobile app and it asked me if I wanted it to show me notifications I thought "hey, that's nice, most apps just start spamming me without asking". I clicked "No thanks" and went on my way. It turns out, though, that it asks that _every_ single time I open the app. It's really annoying and I'm about to allow them only to block them at the OS level.

This is one reason some folks prefer Apple. iOS had privacy options at the OS level for years before Android got into the game (yes xPrivacy but not everyone can root)

So, enable Netflix notifications but disable Netflix notifications at a system level? Seems like a silly reason to prefer iOS, considering every modern Android has the same feature.

Re: Facebook spamming users via their 2FA phone numbers

#280

Post by jobigoud » Thu, Feb 15, 2018, 8:06 AM UTC

perfectstorm wrote: post #260

creator_lol wrote: post #254

Facebook Insider: That is nothing compared to how Facebook uses your phone number on a another persons contact list then aligns that with cookie activity on your computer to get friend recommendations to other accounts that are unrelated to your phone number. The use of your personal phone number internally at Facebook is perverse.

If you block Contacts access on your phone (iOS/Android) can Faceboook still access your contacts ? Are you aware of any loopholes that lets Facebook access someone's contacts ?

If some of your contacts have this enabled then they can rebuild the network.

There was a case not so long ago where unrelated patients of a psychiatrist were suggested as friend to each other. The only possible link is that they all had the psychiatrist in their contact or vice-versa. The friending suggestion by itself was an outing of private medical information.