Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying

Nov 16, 17 17:17

Post #1 of 17 (1577 views)

My Facebook account was killed off/deactivated a while back, just didn't want to deal with the crap anymore. After noticing I was missing out on events from local places I like and discussion & info with some groups I'm a part of locally, I decided to open a shadow account -- unrecognizable profile pic, unrecognizable name, all that jazz, associating it with an old email address that has only a handful of people in the contacts book.

Out of nowhere, it's suggesting friends for me. Friend recommendations for people connected to the 2 people I friend requested (so I could get back into 2 private groups) make sense. Friend recommendations for people in my contact list on my phone make sense if I granted FB permission, but that setting is disabled. My profile is basically blank -- no information about me at all, not even a picture.

What's freaking me out is all of the recommendations it's giving --- people from far back in my past with whom I'm not connected in any way, not in my device, not on my email, not in any way whatsoever. It's giving recommendations for neighbors whose contact info I don't have, people I've worked with in the past but am not connected with, customers I had over a decade ago but whose contact info I never had outside of work (and I'm not using a work device for this). How the hell does Facebook know that I knew these people, where I work, etc. when there's absolutely nothing on the profile to indicate any of that info? How does their algorithm instantly get its hooks that deep into a person when there's not a trace of info?

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 17:42

Post #2 of 17 (1541 views)

Their tentacles are everywhere. But, you may be making it easy for them by using the same IP address as your prior FB account. If not that, then if you are logged into your "shadow" FB account and browse other websites in other tabs that have ad hooks tied to FB, then you are also screwed. Then, there are cookies...

The thing to remember about Facebook is that you are not their customer. You are their product.

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MOP_Mike] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 18:09

Post #3 of 17 (1509 views)

MOP_Mike wrote:

Their tentacles are everywhere. But, you may be making it easy for them by using the same IP address as your prior FB account. If not that, then if you are logged into your "shadow" FB account and browse other websites in other tabs that have ad hooks tied to FB, then you are also screwed. Then, there are cookies...

The thing to remember about Facebook is that you are not their customer. You are their product.

Yup... then, try logging into FB or LinkedIn or whatever with your Gmail account open and see what they serve up...

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 18:13

Post #4 of 17 (1500 views)

They listen to you through your phone too.

They deny it of course...

https://www.cnbc.com/...via-microphones.html

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 18:24

Post #5 of 17 (1480 views)

Perhaps those people searched for you at some point and they kept that record.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 18:35

Post #6 of 17 (1458 views)

I find it interesting that in general, people seem far less concerned with intrusions into their personal lives if the intrusion is done by Corporations vs, the government. Maybe it's because we think Corporations just want our money and we can say no but we feel governments are more interested in control over our lives.

I'm not sure if there is a big difference.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 18:36

Post #7 of 17 (1458 views)

I have two facebook accounts different emails, one has no friends, I get friend suggestions of friends on my other page all the time. Same IP address.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MOP_Mike] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:03

Post #8 of 17 (1427 views)

It has to be that and undisclosed info from FB. They say that they make recommendations based on contacts you've imported from your email or device (which I haven't done with the shadow account), from friends of FB friends, people also in photos you're tagged in, people in groups you're in. They also say that if someone has your associated FB contact info and imports it, they may appear in suggestions. That's it. They say that they don't make friend suggestions based on proximity or from your device if you've not given them permission to access it.

No chance that's true. My neighbors are suggested contacts, even though I have no contact info for them nor they for I; it can only be a proximity-based suggestion despite FB's assertions otherwise that they don't do proximity matching. Friends of friends whom I'm not connected with on FB appear; I get the actual friends of mine appearing, as they might have my old email in their device, but what FB doesn't disclose is that their friends may also appear in suggestions instead of just the person who has my info in their device (and I'd assume vice versa now).

You're right -- the tentacles are deep. I'd be OK with deep if they allowed a method of shutting off that part of things and disclosed their practices. Hell, I'd be OK if they allowed that but used cookies to create tailored ads unless I explicitly opted out. As it is, the privacy settings only give so much room. I guess this is the world we live in. Man, I miss so much about the analog days.

MOP_Mike wrote:

Their tentacles are everywhere. But, you may be making it easy for them by using the same IP address as your prior FB account. If not that, then if you are logged into your "shadow" FB account and browse other websites in other tabs that have ad hooks tied to FB, then you are also screwed. Then, there are cookies...

The thing to remember about Facebook is that you are not their customer. You are their product.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [50+] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:05

Post #9 of 17 (1422 views)

That makes sense. It's something FB doesn't disclose and denies, but it's obvious that it's a part of their algorithm.

50+ wrote:

I have two facebook accounts different emails, one has no friends, I get friend suggestions of friends on my other page all the time. Same IP address.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [Moonrocket] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:08

Post #10 of 17 (1414 views)

FB denies that as part of their process, but I'm not so sure they're being truthful. For some of the suggestions, like my neighbors, the only rational option is that they searched for me or FB does proximity matching. After problems with unrelated patients of doctors suddenly appearing in suggested friends, FB claimed that they didn't do any proximity matching. Yet people still "mysteriously" seem to experience that happening. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...

Moonrocket wrote:

Perhaps those people searched for you at some point and they kept that record.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:13

Post #11 of 17 (1406 views)

Where do you see recommendations ? I have a FB account but it’s only for a lottery I enetered years ago. I left it open for the rare occasion something I’m invovlved in only puts updates on FB. No friends accepted on there but I do have a list of requests. I’d be curious to see since I’ve never been active on it if it’s into my phone and or suggests neighbors.

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [Leddy] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:19

Post #12 of 17 (1391 views)

I see the suggestions on my laptop. I only briefly logged into it on my phone browser to upload a profile pic of something random (an animal, so I'd hope it's not face matching the old account for friend suggestions!). I'm guessing it's suggesting neighbors based on my IP and matching that to the people around me who have similar IPs from using the same cable service or something.

Leddy wrote:

Where do you see recommendations ? I have a FB account but it’s only for a lottery I enetered years ago. I left it open for the rare occasion something I’m invovlved in only puts updates on FB. No friends accepted on there but I do have a list of requests. I’d be curious to see since I’ve never been active on it if it’s into my phone and or suggests neighbors.

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:21

Post #13 of 17 (1390 views)

Sanuk wrote:

I find it interesting that in general, people seem far less concerned with intrusions into their personal lives if the intrusion is done by Corporations vs, the government. Maybe it's because we think Corporations just want our money and we can say no but we feel governments are more interested in control over our lives.

I'm not sure if there is a big difference.

I think we're resigned to the fact that we have very little private info anymore. Between Experian, other corps. various medical companies, the govt and God knows who else what is there to hide? I think at this point that anyone can find info they want about anyone if they have $$$ and real interest.

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [MidwestRoadie] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:42

Post #14 of 17 (1359 views)

I went through the suggestions. There are a few neighbors which I would guess are connected with people I know around here. As well as a lot of people I have no idea who they are. One or two weird ones along the lines of what you are saying. My sons old little league coach. He’s not in my contacts but we’ve emailed a few times over the course of two seasons he played for him.

I scrolled through the friend requests and there were some random people in there also. People I have no idea who they are. I would guess some come from a cross reference to my LinkedIn account.

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [jkca1] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 19:46

Post #15 of 17 (1352 views)

I live my life like everybody is watching all the time.

Be proud of what you do, whatever it is.

And do the right thing when nobody is watching, if only because chances are someone is watching.

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 20:10

Post #16 of 17 (1337 views)

Sanuk wrote:

I find it interesting that in general, people seem far less concerned with intrusions into their personal lives if the intrusion is done by Corporations vs, the government. Maybe it's because we think Corporations just want our money and we can say no but we feel governments are more interested in control over our lives.

I'm not sure if there is a big difference.

+1
People regard some big corporation as cool while governments are evil. Of course, as long as it matches their opinion etc

Last edited by: softrun: Nov 16, 17 20:45

Re: Facebook -- It's F'ing Terrifying [Duffy] [ In reply to ]

Nov 16, 17 20:32

Post #17 of 17 (1321 views)

Duffy wrote:

I live my life like everybody is watching all the time.

Be proud of what you do, whatever it is.

And do the right thing when nobody is watching, if only because chances are someone is watching.

I'm with you, especially the last part. ;)

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

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