Facebook data scandal

Thank you Richard

Don

... and I suggest that you go back home and rewrite it ... in English and non-Swahili ...

Like most (or probably all) of you guys it's no surprise to me what's happening, does anyone not wonder why its free to use Facebook? The people most shocked are more than likely those who share every aspect of their lives on there including that of their children. 

I am on Facebook but very rarely post or comment on anything. I am in a few groups relating to my work and the Naim owners group on there which are all closed groups.

To most people its all about showing off what you've got or what you're doing and getting up people's noses. I spend quite a bit of my time trying to educate my twelve year old daughter about the perils of social media.

Drewy, what you describe is maybe 2% of facebook. Facebook is having on many websites their trackers, which allows them to connect your - limited in use, protected account - to your entire digital live. They know which bank you use, which websites you visit, at which company you work and they have probably your entire addressbook since you (assumption here) use whatsapp. They know what time you awake and what time you go asleep. They know what television programs you watch, what music you like. This all is not directly harmful, but I can imagine more harmful things.

Facebook knows more about my wife than I do, and facebook probably knows more about me than I do.

This also counts for you, of course.

The point is that Mark Z is having the biggest treasure on this planet (significant data about 2 billion people), and he is trying to keep it for himself like the King-under-the-Mountain, but the company starts to be to big to fail and certain institutions, like the US government start to be aware that he might not be the best guy to manage it.

If wrong people start to have access to the data, people could blackmail other people. The effects on e.g. local politics can be huge this way. If some smart bloke distills a list of all gay people in a 'scientific' program, and this data gets to Saudi Arabia or Iran, certain people could ultimately be death sentenced in these countries.

Facebook is just another way of a social-control and rating system like the Chinese now try to implement theirselves. 

The problem was lack of control of 3rd party access to data belonging to other 3rd parties.

That is if a facebook user (the 1st party) gave access to their data to a 3rd party data agency (e.g. through agreeing to the T&C of a competition or an online survey) the data agency were then permitted to act as 'facebook friends' of the facebook user.  This allowed the  data agency access to private information of other facebook friends of the facebook user, even though the data owners (the other facebook friends) had not given permission for that access.

This contravenes the American Freedom of Information Act, the UK Data Protection Act and similar legislation throughout Europe.

Huge, there is a pretty small piece of this planet where law actually has a meaning.

Oh yes, Iceland; I have friends there.   

Sorry Huge, understanding - and being part of the industry which is heading for global dominance - I now and than feel the wish to be entirely disconnected and become a monk or hermit.

You have absolutely no reason to apologise.

I agree companies are amoral - it's not that they specifically act in an immoral way; simply that that don't have any morals at all!

I used to work in IT systems design so I understand 'big data'; but I used to work for a mutual financial organisation and that is one of the very few classes of companies that have any morals built into their constitution.

However I do have a lot of time for the Icelandic people!  

“Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that makes money if you can't see how it does it!”

(I might have misquoted that...)

(Well I thought it was funny!)

Facebook do not even respond to complaints about their incessant notifications that they can boost your posts for instance on an interest page. They are a money making machine. I tell them I don’t want intrusive adverts but it doesn’t stop them coming. It’s enough putting up with friends who share what is essentially commercial stuff. 

They also exploit your craving for followers by deliberating reducing the number when you don’t do as they suggest by boosting posts! 

Phil

Mike-B posted:

Some people around me seem to be amazed that I can actually survive without being on FB & don't use Twittersphere,  but yes I do remarkably well & it seems to me to be a lot less fuss & far more pleasant state of affairs.      

Ditto with me. Some of my extended family think I'm mad not participating, which means they have to use e-mail/even pick up the 'phone (obviously too harder task for some  ). The scary part for me was when I looked at some work colleagues' Facebook details and could work out from a few photos where they lived, where their partners worked, what cars they drove, the names of their kids and friends - all within a minute or so. 

Happy Listener posted:

Mike-B posted:

Some people around me seem to be amazed that I can actually survive without being on FB & don't use Twittersphere,  but yes I do remarkably well & it seems to me to be a lot less fuss & far more pleasant state of affairs.      

Ditto with me. Some of my extended family think I'm mad not participating, which means they have to use e-mail/even pick up the 'phone (obviously too harder task for some  ). The scary part for me was when I looked at some work colleagues' Facebook details and could work out from a few photos where they lived, where their partners worked, what cars they drove, the names of their kids and friends - all within a minute or so. 

I'm not surprised that you could pick up that stuff. What I find odd is that it scared you. Why? I'm not bothered by who knows where I live or work, the names of our kids, or what sort of car I drive.

Winky the problem is that certain information realized by being tracked can be painful.

Not painful but happened to me:

I suddenly got adverts for baby stuff. 1 month later, my sister told me that she was pregnant. I was probably the first who knew it, even before her friend. I do think that this was caused that she has been our cleaning lady for a while and her phone was on our network therefore Facebook and Google connected her falsely to my address.

Yesterday: I got adverts for certain medicines. I asked my wife what is going on. Apparently, my screen tells me more than my wife.

I'm sure it would be great for Facebook if people could no longer find jobs without a Facebook presence. Talk about a monopoly. Our company loves researching applicants on social media because if you can manage your "brand" on Facebook, you can manage theirs. It makes sense and has its pros and cons in the world of illusions I guess. I could never buy into it.