Thanks To Facebook, Your Cellphone Company Is Watching You More Closely Than Ever (theintercept.com) 83
A confidential Facebook document reviewed by The Intercept shows that Facebook courts carriers, along with phone makers -- some 100 different companies in 50 countries -- by offering the use of even more surveillance data, pulled straight from your smartphone by Facebook itself. From the report: Offered to select Facebook partners, the data includes not just technical information about Facebook members' devices and use of Wi-Fi and cellular networks, but also their past locations, interests, and even their social groups. This data is sourced not just from the company's main iOS and Android apps, but from Instagram and Messenger as well. The data has been used by Facebook partners to assess their standing against competitors, including customers lost to and won from them, but also for more controversial uses like racially targeted ads.
Some experts are particularly alarmed that Facebook has marketed the use of the information -- and appears to have helped directly facilitate its use, along with other Facebook data -- for the purpose of screening customers on the basis of likely creditworthiness. Such use could potentially run afoul of federal law, which tightly governs credit assessments. Facebook said it does not provide creditworthiness services and that the data it provides to cellphone carriers and makers does not go beyond what it was already collecting for other uses.
Some experts are particularly alarmed that Facebook has marketed the use of the information -- and appears to have helped directly facilitate its use, along with other Facebook data -- for the purpose of screening customers on the basis of likely creditworthiness. Such use could potentially run afoul of federal law, which tightly governs credit assessments. Facebook said it does not provide creditworthiness services and that the data it provides to cellphone carriers and makers does not go beyond what it was already collecting for other uses.
Well (Score:5, Informative)
How did you think that they made money?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, Facebook is a company that sells a service without charging their customers anything.
How did you think that they made money?
Facebook does not sell a service without charging their customers. Customer != user.
Re:Well (Score:5, Insightful)
Free markets suck when you're the item being sold (Score:5, Insightful)
How did you think that they made money?
We're way way past this simple reasoning. Facebook is a clear and present danger to democracy and must be regulated with an iron fist. Free market idolaters can go to hell in this istance.
You, your democracy, all your potential illicit activity, your most intimate secrets, and all that about your family and all your contacts - all that is for sale by FB. Hell, they're so nice, they'll even create a shadow account if you don't sign up.
Way past that (Score:1)
Dude, we're past that phase. The phase we're in now is figuring out whether the end game for human society is Total Ubiquitous Surveillance.
If so, at least we can all stop caring about what happens to the future of humanity.
The more we learn about Facebook... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't think it's evil. I think it provides exactly what the masses want to consume. It turns out majority of the populace really wanna be dumb cows being milked. So Facebook is in charge of milking. After all, nobody forces you to have a Facebook app, or Facebook account. It is your choice! and you choose to be a dumb cow, fed corn and being milked. True, every so often some cows smell the slaughterhouse and moo for a while. But then it's over.
So don't think too much, stick you head in your screen and yo
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The other problem is how many businesses and such use Facebook to interact with people. Even my small community does everything on Facebook, so by not being on Facebook, more and more is missed out. It is also a job requirement for many as well.
Re: (Score:1)
Literal brainwashing.
Re: (Score:1)
Doesn't matter.
It's on all your friends' phones. That's enough. They can gather your call and text history that way.
Think of it like email. YOU may run a local emailer, but if the party you send the email to uses Gmail, then boom, Google has your email.
It's not MY phone, but that doesn't matter. (Score:4, Interesting)
My phone doesn't do that shit.
That don't matter none though, because everybody else I know has FB's shitware all over their phones, so FB scrapes info about me even though I never gave it to 'em.
It no longer matters how careful you are. Wanna avoid FB and Google? Sorry, your friends and families will sell you out.
Re: (Score:1)
This just in: FB is Evil (Score:5, Funny)
Duh.
Re: (Score:2)
Just a smile (Score:1)
I installed the Facebook app on an Android phone 7 year ago, and watched a battery that lasted for 2 days, on average, drain in 2 hours. The wasn't even open, and wouldn't stay closed when killed. I wiped the phone. I swore off Facebook then and there. People called me crazy and paranoid. Now news stories like this pop up and I just smile.
Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
That doesn't work for me -- in my opinion, the carrier I use sells my location data and speech-to-text data to advertisers -- the advertisers eventually get related ads on my facebook page which I only view on a home laptop -- the facebook app is not installed on my iphone -- they are able to connect the dots because both my cell-phone and my laptop sometimes connect to the same home router
Re: (Score:1)
Stop buying piece of shit android phones.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
In Australia, newer Samsung Galaxy phones with Telstra branded firmware allow Facebook to be completely uninstalled. Older Samsung Galaxy phones allow Facebook to be disabled, but not completely uninstalled without rooting.
Re: (Score:2)
Stop using Facebook. (Score:2)
Zuckerberg does not care about and has zero respect for privacy or the sanctity of personal information and he never will. Facebook will never change and every new article that comes out highlighting yet another issue with Facebook related to privacy, tracking, and misuse/misappropriation of user data should come as no surprise.
Using Facebook is essentially the equivalent of smoking tobacco in that everyone, everywhere is fully cognizant of the damage the habit causes and the danger to long term health it p
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Try using this thing called text messages. You can even include short videos and pics
THAT'S THE PROBLEM! (Score:2)
... the data it provides to cellphone carriers and makers does not go beyond what it was already collecting for other uses.
It was wrong when you did it for other uses. It's still wrong. Do they really think we believe they don't get this?
Just install a firewall on your phone (Score:3)
I have a global rule for all apps:
Block *.facebook.com
Why my weather app or flashlight app needs to talk to BookFace is questionable at best.
Next up, blocking CDN ad networks by name and IP.
Re:Just install a firewall on your phone (Score:4, Interesting)
I use NoRoot Firewall, it's free in that you can run it without advertisements, or guilt.
What I block list "Pending Access" (where it has tried to connect to) awaiting allow/deny, Facebook shows regularly there.
https://play.google.com/store/... [google.com]
Re: (Score:2)
What about iPhones?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
https://qz.com/1234502/how-to-... [qz.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
I have a global rule for all apps:
Block *.facebook.com
This will not do. You need something like this:
# Block Facebook IPv4
127.0.0.1 api.ak.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 api.connect.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 api.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 app.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 apps.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 ar-ar.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 badge.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 blog.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 connect.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 connect.facebook.net
127.0.0.1 de-de.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 developers.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 es-la.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 external.ak.fbcdn.net
127.0.0.1 facebook.com
127.0.0.1 faceboo
There is a middle way. (Score:1)
I have a Facebook account, but I use the SlimSocial [f-droid.org] app.
It has few permissions and doesn't give Facebook most of that information they want.
WhatsApp more used than voice, SMS here in Brazil (Score:2)
Darn (Score:3)
Am here I am without a Facecrap account, missing out on the fun once again!
Just use the web app. (Score:3)
A lot of these creepy eaves-droppy problems are fixed by just deleting the app and using the web app. It's literally the exact same thing anyway.
Re: (Score:2)
Second solution: Don't buy a carrier phone. For Gawd sakes, it's the same price now. There is no reason to buy a carrier phone. Just buy a clean phone and put in a SIM card.
I don't use Facebook (Score:1)
I will NEVER use Facebook.
So they can't get at me.
Guess it's a good thing (Score:3)
I don't use Facebook nor have a "smart" phone.
Zuckerberg must be tearing his hair out not being able to sell my information to someone. uMatrix does a nice job of blocking FB scripts on web pages.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Why I uninstall this crap. (Score:2)
While, yes, I still have to put up with the base Google/Samsung layout on my G10, I uninstall FB/etc the second I get these phones.
They're not getting any more data out of me than I can help.
Facebook keeps coming back on my phone (Score:5, Interesting)
Eventually I rooted my phone but kept it on the default ROM. This time I froze all four apps using Titanium Backup. That seemed to work for about 4 months. Last week, they came back again. I dunno what Facebook is doing but they just don't seem to get the message when they're not wanted. They're like the traveling salesman who refuses to leave even when you try to shut the door in their face. Even the Sprint apps I've disabled have behaved and stayed disabled. It's only the Facebook stuff that keeps rising from the dead. I'm not worried about them phoning home because I run a firewall which defaults to blocking network access for all apps. But the mentality you need to code your apps to auto-enable themselves after the user has explicitly disabled them, is that of a malware author. And I don't want anything programmed by someone with that mindset running on my phone.
Re: (Score:2)
Silly rabbit, you think you own your Android phone.
If facebook is doing this to its European users... (Score:2)
If facebook is doing this to its European users then its in violation of the terms of GDPR. Maximum penalty is 4% of global revenues.
"Dumb fucks." (Score:2)
list (Score:2)
and the list of the 100 companies in 50 countries is available where? (could find it in tfa)
i'm guessing that any subscription that gives you 'free' facebook (as in - the data you consume on facebook does not count for your monthly limit), is probably involved in this program.