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Getting my personal data out of Facebook

ruben.verborgh.org

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Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#31

Post by dmitriid »

qxcbr wrote: post #9
mikejb wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What exactly are they afraid of? Exposing the level of detail in the data accumulated. This starts at "opened the messenger app at this location on this date&time" and goes to "visited this Facebook-unrelated website on these times". Having to provide all of this data exposes the detailed profile they're getting on people.

They are only getting what you are giving to them. If you decide to browse the web without uBlock Origin or if you decide to use Android, you know what you're being exposed to.

1. No, you don't know what you're exposed to. There are multiple ways to get data on you regardless of uBlock Origin or non-Android OSes.

2. No, it doesn't matter if you use Android (what does using Android have to do with Facebook?) or not, Facebook can and will collect info on you through other means: analytics, logins, sharing etc.

3. You have very little to no idea of how pervasive tracking is especially in the case of large social platforms that everyone integrates with.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#32

Post by akavel »

koboll wrote: post #25

It seems like Facebook has staked out a legal position on this. A dubious one likely to fail and doubtless designed mostly to buy time, but a legal position nonetheless, which will only be struck down by a court, not an email reply chain. You had me up until the legalese email, after which the correct response is to sue. You lost me with the belligerent reply ranting about what Mark said in the Washington Post. It se…

Based on the other comments mentioning that the Ireland's GDPR office is apparently trying its best to avoid helping EU citizens, I'd guess he might be double-checking if there's any chance he can get anything from FB before taking it to the courts.

Other than that, my guess is he hopes that this story will get picked by press sooner or later, and thus tries to make the paper trail as attractive and instantly easy to use in newspapers as possible. With a side goal of also making it as attractive, fun to read, and generally entertaining as possible, to any other people casually coming by his site. Which I see as a very noble and valuable goal, esp. when talking about legal stuff, which is super hard to talk and write about in entertaining and approachable way.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#33

Post by rando444 »

useerup wrote: post #30
rando444 wrote: post #21

Under the GDPR, each country has a Data Protection Authority set up in order to enforce and supervise these rules. The author needs to contact his country's DPA and they will be the ones to drop the hammer on Facebook. Facebook might not listen to an end user, but European governmental authorities have the power to force them to. It's the only logical next step in my opinion.

Ah no. The EU countries have agreed, that the home country of the organization (not the country of the data subject) will take the lead in any GDPR enforcement. Facebook in EU is registered in Ireland. Ireland is making a mockery of GDPR, slow walking investigations while paying lip service to GDPR. Ireland is a leech. They've figured out that they can attract global companies through very lenient tax auditing and (n…

Thanks for this information. I was unaware.

As this is the process though, I'm still going to say that this is the logical next step.

Likely the only way to get any movement on this is with public outcry, and if this issue gets enough attention, would be good to show not only the flaws in Facebook's system, but also any flaws in GDPR enforcement.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#34

Post by akavel »

code_duck wrote: post #20
xenihn wrote: post #4

Who else could wade through the sea of garbage you people produce, retrieve valuable truths and even interpret their meaning for later generations?

‘you people’ is an invective that apparently excludes yourself from the class you refer to. You don’t visit web pages?

The comment by xenihn makes a lot of sense when read as sarcasm/irony. Personally, I believe that was the author's intention. That said, it's unfortunately infamously hard to distinguish sarcasm/irony from actually "meaning it" in online conversations.

That said, the post may as well be trolling and seeding doubt on purpose.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#35

Post by xenihn »

akavel wrote: post #34
code_duck wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

‘you people’ is an invective that apparently excludes yourself from the class you refer to. You don’t visit web pages?

The comment by xenihn makes a lot of sense when read as sarcasm/irony. Personally, I believe that was the author's intention. That said, it's unfortunately infamously hard to distinguish sarcasm/irony from actually "meaning it" in online conversations. That said, the post may as well be trolling and seeding doubt on purpose.

It's from Metal Gear Solid 2

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#36

Post by lewilewilewi »

This bit

>Article 12(1) GDPR requires that the information provided to an individual in response to an access request is in “a concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language”. At its most basic, this means that the information Facebook provides in response to a request should be capable of being understood by the average person. Highly technical data in its original form is likely to be meaningless to the average Facebook user and providing such data would be inconsistent with Facebook’s GDPR obligations.

is reflective of the scorn with which Facebook treats their users.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#37

Post by akavel »

xenihn wrote: post #35
akavel wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The comment by xenihn makes a lot of sense when read as sarcasm/irony. Personally, I believe that was the author's intention. That said, it's unfortunately infamously hard to distinguish sarcasm/irony from actually "meaning it" in online conversations. That said, the post may as well be trolling and seeding doubt on purpose.

It's from Metal Gear Solid 2

You still might like to consider giving some more context and explaining it, for the benefit of people who may be lacking it. I myself personally never played MGS, so I'm still not clear on what was your actual intention, even with the link you provided in the other comment (which looks like a loooong read).

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#38

Post by panglott »

reaperducer wrote: post #11

It's a very interesting web page. But it would be better told without all the sarcasm and invective. I understand the author's need to vent his spleen, but he should create a second, more black-and-white version that comes off as more credible and is less easily dismissed.

How does tone policing the author offer any insight into the argument at issue here?

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#39

Post by panglott »

politelemon wrote: post #19
reaperducer wrote: post #11

It's a very interesting web page. But it would be better told without all the sarcasm and invective. I understand the author's need to vent his spleen, but he should create a second, more black-and-white version that comes off as more credible and is less easily dismissed.

What stood out to me is that the author does have an inflated sense of self importance > And let’s not pretend that it’s a big cost to you: getting the listed data about a single person is about the simplest query you can write. (Did I mention I’m a data scientist?) And that particular trait emerges quite a bit throughout the correspondence. Where the author labels things as reasonable, I open the link only to find a…

This is just ad hominem.

Re: Getting my personal data out of Facebook

#40

Post by chuckgreenman »

qxcbr wrote: post #9
mikejb wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What exactly are they afraid of? Exposing the level of detail in the data accumulated. This starts at "opened the messenger app at this location on this date&time" and goes to "visited this Facebook-unrelated website on these times". Having to provide all of this data exposes the detailed profile they're getting on people.

They are only getting what you are giving to them. If you decide to browse the web without uBlock Origin or if you decide to use Android, you know what you're being exposed to.

I'd agree that everyone on HN knows what they are getting into, but we're not an accurate cross section of humanity to be fair.
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