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WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

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Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#51

Post by Nicholas_C »

TheCapn wrote: post #28
matthewmacleod wrote: post #20

I'm like 99% certain they've been doing this for a while. I've noticed that anybody I talk to using WhatsApp quickly appears as a suggested contact on Facebook. As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this. It does seem awfully creepy, but I guess if you care about privacy you're not using Facebook much anyway…

How creepy Facebook is finally clicked for me after I gave my neighbor my phone number once moving to a new neighborhood. You know... in case my house lights on fire or something while I'm out. That night Facebook was suggesting I add my elderly neighbors as friends. We have 0 friends in common and I don't have Facebook installed on my phone (I just use the browser) so the only excuse I have is when they added me the…

Facebook also does this for people I follow on Instagram but have zero connections with otherwise.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#53

Post by [deleted] »

creshal wrote: post #44
jamiesonbecker wrote: post #36

To avoid this, simply collect and destroy any phones owned by your friends who might have your phone number or email in their contact lists. I always use a sledge hammer for this, but some people prefer a sturdy boot. Don't forget to recycle!

I know it's a joke, but it got me wondering: What kind of treatment do you need nowadays to actually safely destroy flash storage? I doubt a single smash from a sledgehammer/boot has a good chance of destroying SIM and internal storage and µSD card such that forensic analysis can't recover its data. Thermite?

[deleted]

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#54

Post by fractallyte »

creshal wrote: post #44
jamiesonbecker wrote: post #36

To avoid this, simply collect and destroy any phones owned by your friends who might have your phone number or email in their contact lists. I always use a sledge hammer for this, but some people prefer a sturdy boot. Don't forget to recycle!

I know it's a joke, but it got me wondering: What kind of treatment do you need nowadays to actually safely destroy flash storage? I doubt a single smash from a sledgehammer/boot has a good chance of destroying SIM and internal storage and µSD card such that forensic analysis can't recover its data. Thermite?

A microwave oven works really well... Only takes (literally!) 1 second. OK, 2 if you want to be thorough.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#55

Post by alexcason »

"The ads would come through a Facebook program called "Custom Audiences," which lets a business upload lists of customers and phone numbers or other contact information the business has collected from warranty cards or other sources. Facebook matches the list to users with the same information and shows them ads. Facebook says it doesn't give out users' information to advertisers."

What happens if the advertiser uploads only one phone number to their campaign? Will they then know for certain if the one user clicked on the advert?

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#56

Post by DavideNL »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #20

I'm like 99% certain they've been doing this for a while. I've noticed that anybody I talk to using WhatsApp quickly appears as a suggested contact on Facebook. As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this. It does seem awfully creepy, but I guess if you care about privacy you're not using Facebook much anyway…

> As far as I'm aware, I did nothing to enable this.

Correct, but if the other person adds you to THEIR contact list, and shares THEIR contact list with Facebook, FB can then learn your phone number (without your Whatsapp ever sending it to FB).

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#57

Post by sumitgt »

steinsgate wrote: post #45

What's the value of WhatsApp? It is the scale of the product. I use it because most of my friends are on it. There are many other alternatives to WhatsApp as pointed out by many in this thread, but none of them have nearly the same traction. The only business model that allows such scale is the ad supported model. If WhatsApp was subscription based, I am sure they could not have achieved this scale. And I wouldn't ha…

WhatsApp is Ad supported? I don't think so. I believe until last year they were subscription based.

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#58

Post by creshal »

2T1Qka0rEiPr wrote: post #50
creshal wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something that's not VC funded or otherwise depending on external money sources, or you'll have the same problem again a few years down the road when $Alternative is asked to turn a profit.

OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. It's a real shame that WA decided to drop their paid model (though at the price they were asking for it's clear to see why they'd favour this model). Do we just have to face up to the reality with social networks and communic…

> OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless.

That's what we have been struggling with since the mid-90s, yes. IRC will always exists, but past that?

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#59

Post by creshal »

fractallyte wrote: post #54
creshal wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it's a joke, but it got me wondering: What kind of treatment do you need nowadays to actually safely destroy flash storage? I doubt a single smash from a sledgehammer/boot has a good chance of destroying SIM and internal storage and µSD card such that forensic analysis can't recover its data. Thermite?

A microwave oven works really well... Only takes (literally!) 1 second. OK, 2 if you want to be thorough.

It's flashy, but does it really destroy the charge in the cells?

Re: WhatsApp is going to share your phone number with Facebook

#60

Post by 2T1Qka0rEiPr »

creshal wrote: post #58
2T1Qka0rEiPr wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. It's a real shame that WA decided to drop their paid model (though at the price they were asking for it's clear to see why they'd favour this model). Do we just have to face up to the reality with social networks and communic…

> OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. That's what we have been struggling with since the mid-90s, yes. IRC will always exists, but past that?

+1 for the suggestion of IRC being the best messaging app!
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