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Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

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Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#321

Post by gowld »

reaperducer wrote: post #317
packetslave wrote: post #8

https://www.axios.com/facebook-will-stop-asking-new-users-fo... Facebook told Axios that "a very small group of people have the option of entering their email password to verify their account when they sign up for Facebook," but noted that people could choose instead to confirm their account with a code or link sent to their phone or email. "That said, we understand the password verification option isn't the best way…

"That said, we understand the password verification option isn't the best way to go about this, so we are going to stop offering it, now that we've been caught ." Facebook always leaves that part out of its responses to these problems.

Caught? They offered the feature directly to users. It wasn't a secret.

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#323

Post by ninju »

gowld wrote: post #321
reaperducer wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"That said, we understand the password verification option isn't the best way to go about this, so we are going to stop offering it, now that we've been caught ." Facebook always leaves that part out of its responses to these problems.

Caught? They offered the feature directly to users. It wasn't a secret.

Caught in terms being scolded for doing a insecure thing

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#324

Post by amyjess »

dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #178
robteix wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mostly agree but don’t underestimate the effect that drinking the kool-aid can have on your ability to tell if something is wrong or not. I’ve worked in these megacorps and I understand how easy is to believe everything they do is awesome. “We’re just doing it to make it easier for our users” or “we’re Facebook, we know how to securely handle their passwords” It’s very easy to _believe_ these things when you’re in…

But frankly, when you think about it, the only amazing thing about FB is how it got popular, that's all. As for the user experience it's very far from amazing, in spite of all the tech used. It's slow, and on mobile not only slow but also resource hungry, it has several glitches, plus there is a ton of things that annoy users. Now, I can understands that someone working for SpaceX can think they're all amazing, but i…

It's sad, because Facebook wasn't like that when it started out.

It was clean and light and fast, unlike MySpace which was often described as a messy, bloated pig.

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#325

Post by amyjess »

MichaelSalib wrote: post #316
kyle-rb wrote: post #67

I just don't understand how this gets implemented without someone speaking up and saying "hey, wait, isn't this an insane thing to do?". I would guess it's some combination of the complainers being ignored, and people at a higher level thinking "well we're doing this in a secure way, as long as the user trusts us, and why wouldn't they trust us, we're Facebook!".

I worked at FB briefly so maybe I can explain. FB has a corporate culture that really discourages critique. When things are broken, especially internal things, people look at you funny if you speak up about it. A big part of that is that quarterly bonuses are given for "making an impact" and your group's status (and part of your bonus) is based on delivering a consistent set of "impacts" over time. So it is better fo…

Yesterday, this same rationale came up with why Google keeps launching new products and then abandoning them over and over and over.

I guess this is what happens when a startup gets big. They keep all the toxic baggage of startup culture (edit: "move fast and break things") while gaining the impact on people's lives that big companies have.

I think Apple is the only one of the FAANG that's jettisoned startup culture, and I think that's why they're doing so incredibly well.

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#326

Post by jbj »

js2 wrote: post #308

I recently learned that when you connect your Paypal account to your checking account, there's two verification methods you can choose between: 1) the good old fashioned, we'll make two small deposits into your account, tell us what they are; and 2) just give us the login info for your bank's web site. But Mint works the same way, doesn't it?

So does Venmo, to get around it, you need to tell them your bank is not on the list and cofirm the old fasioned you mention.

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#327

Post by lostmyoldone »

inglor wrote: post #313
js2 wrote: post #308

I recently learned that when you connect your Paypal account to your checking account, there's two verification methods you can choose between: 1) the good old fashioned, we'll make two small deposits into your account, tell us what they are; and 2) just give us the login info for your bank's web site. But Mint works the same way, doesn't it?

I worked for a fintech company until 2 years ago. The CTO/CEO wanted to add a feature that lets users enter their bank password and through a service (Yodlee/TradeIt) lets the company read their stock portfolio and perform actions. I told them that I don't think people would trust their bank info to some small fintech startup. Boy was I wrong and people with 4M dollar stock trading accounts would enter their credenti…

While sometimes user actually knowingly make those trade-offs, I suspect many think they do a quite different trade-off.

It's not really that people trust you that much, it is more that they in the moment you ask don't understand the consequences at all.

Unless you very explicitly tell the users about the risks, that they wold have zero recourse if something goes wrong, they will believe it is okay for them, that somehow everything is taken care of.

Very similar to the why people fall for con men. Nobody expects someone to have the audacity to lie so grandly, act so confidently, while in truth being completely 'naked'.

You tend to assume that the insanity must have a point, that the obvious loopholes must somehow be covered - taken care of - based on nothing but the fact that someone acted with confidence.

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#328

Post by jks »

thesimon wrote: post #128
jks wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Klarna tried to ask for people's bank access codes in Finland until Finland's Financial Supervisory Authority ruled it illegal. Seems like a shady business to me.

Will probably be legal again due to the PSD2.

The Finnish authority’s stance is that asking for passwords and screen scraping the bank pages is not acceptable. I only have a source in Finnish but Google Translate seems to work: https://www.finanssivalvonta.fi/saantely/kannanotot-ja-tulki... https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https...

Re: Facebook Asking for Some New Users' Email Passwords

#329

Post by guitarbill »

ThePadawan wrote: post #290
CelestialTeapot wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did they not pay any attention during the humanities portion of their education? That's part of why it's there. Disclaimers: I'm not an engineer, but my CS degree is ABET accredited. I also took a few more Archaeology, Cog Sci, and Philosophy classes than strictly necessary.

Personal data point: Did a Bachelor's + Master's degree in CS in Europe. Only around 5% of my coursework had (and could!) be outside CS. And you could fill that with things like Game Theory 102 or Copyright Law 101 or something without issue.

This makes sense, as you get your broad education before university. School focusses on a well-rounded education, whereas universities let you specialise. I realise this is a bit of a contrast to the US education system, with majors and minors, etc.
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