You Can Finally See All Of The Info Facebook Collected About You From Other Websites (buzzfeednews.com) 35
Facebook said Tuesday it's rolling out a long-awaited privacy feature that will let users see and clear information from apps and websites they browse outside of the social network. Some people in Ireland, South Korea, and Spain will gain access to this feature first, but the company plans to broaden the availability soon. From a report: Facebook collects information about its users in two ways: first, through the information you input into its website and apps, and second, by tracking which websites you visit while you're not on Facebook. That's why, after you visit a clothing retailer's website, you'll likely see an ad for it in your Facebook News Feed or Instagram feed. Basically, Facebook monitors where you go, all across the internet, and uses your digital footprints to target you with ads. But Facebook users have never been able to view this external data Facebook collected about them, until now.
Facebook tracks your browsing history via the "Login with Facebook" button, the "like" button, Facebook comments, and little bits of invisible code, called the Facebook pixel, embedded on other sites. Today the company will start to roll out a feature called "Off-Facebook Activity" that allows people to manage that external browsing data -- finally delivering on a promise it made over a year ago when CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced at a company event that it would develop a feature then called "Clear History." The new tool will display a summary of those third-party websites that shared your visit with Facebook, and will allow you to disconnect that browsing history from your Facebook account. You can also opt out of future off-Facebook activity tracking, or selectively stop certain websites from sending your browsing activity to Facebook. Nearly a third of all websites include a Facebook tracker, according to several studies.
Facebook tracks your browsing history via the "Login with Facebook" button, the "like" button, Facebook comments, and little bits of invisible code, called the Facebook pixel, embedded on other sites. Today the company will start to roll out a feature called "Off-Facebook Activity" that allows people to manage that external browsing data -- finally delivering on a promise it made over a year ago when CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced at a company event that it would develop a feature then called "Clear History." The new tool will display a summary of those third-party websites that shared your visit with Facebook, and will allow you to disconnect that browsing history from your Facebook account. You can also opt out of future off-Facebook activity tracking, or selectively stop certain websites from sending your browsing activity to Facebook. Nearly a third of all websites include a Facebook tracker, according to several studies.
Misleading headline (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Misleading headline (Score:2)
1. Use VPN ....
2. change your address to Spain.
3.
4. Profit
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No worries. Facebook has seen it for you, analyzed your data, and is satisfied that you are content with the result.
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Clickbait submission and article. No URL provided for headline claim because it doesn't exist.
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As far as I can tell it's "upcoming" everywhere. I see a lot of stories about them launching it to day and from here in MN, no, I don't see any way to activate or run it.
Ick, I went on fb, I feel like I should shower now. Worse than reddit.
There may be trouble ahead... (Score:3)
There are couples who share a Facebook account, this could lead to some very awkward discoveries...
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I've got neither a partner nor Facebook account any more, but I've seen it back when I did have a FB account.
I find it very strange. And now, one of them is going to get to the history first and either nuke it or trawl it. Or both. And it's going to end in tears.
What about shadow accounts? (Score:5, Interesting)
And if I don't even have an account? How can I see and expunge all the data it has collected on me?? Threaten them with a lawsuit???
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If you don't have a facebook account, create one, now. After you create it, deactivate it. This way, no one can create an account and pose as you.
Re:What about shadow accounts? (Score:5, Insightful)
The idea that anyone should have to visit a website, create an account, agree to its terms of service, agree to its acceptable use policy, adhere to its real name policy, provide whatever verification / contact information they demand to setup an account, all in order to NOT do business with them, is totally repugnant to me.
I should need to register with the government (to claim citizenship, obtain passports, register for taxes, and elections. I am already subject to its laws etc regardless. But to give that kind of power to a company is obnoxious.
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But to give that kind of power to a company is obnoxious.
The real question to answer is:
Who gave facebook this power, and how?
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Apologies if I misread this but you should not have to do all of those things to NOT do business with a country to not do one thing like pay taxes. That is the argument I think. I should not have to give every country in the world my info to say "I don't exist in your country, I am not paying taxes there." I think that is the argument....
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I think you did.
I was referring to your government.
I agree you definitely shouldn't have to do anything in a country you don't live in or visit.
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Why do you need to register for taxes and elections? Does that mean that if you don’t register you don’t pay taxes and you can’t vote?
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"Why do you need to register for taxes and elections?"
Essentially yes. We need to register for an SSN number to work in the country; that SSN is the "account number" for income tax, various tax benefits, attached to tax-free savings accoung and register retirement plans, etc, and that employers use to remit income tax on your behalf etc.
You are legally required to file tax returns if you have income to report, and even if you don't have income but want to claim certain benefits. So technically you can get a
Re: What about shadow accounts? (Score:2)
Itâ(TM)s a bit different here in the Netherlands. You get your SSN (here itâ(TM)s called BSN) when your birth has been registered in the municipality you were born in. One of your parents has to do this; usually the father while mum is recovering from giving birth. I donâ(TM)t know how it works when you are an immigrant but you will eventually get your BSN then too. You need it to get your mandatory health care insurance, government grants if you are eligible to receive them and your employ
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Poison their wealth-generating data well
The problem with this is that they'll sell the poisoned data anyway and credulous
people will then use it as if it were reliable, no matter the consequences of making
mistakes in whatever activity they are using it for.
They don't need accurate data they just need data that looks accurate.
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If you're in the EU, file a subject access request under the GDPR.
For other places, it's going to depend on their local privacy and data protection laws.
welcome to paradise (Score:1, Interesting)
maybe a gray or whitehat hacker (Score:5, Insightful)
Like, share buttons, etc. (Score:5, Informative)
When a website uses Facebook's javascript API to add a Like or Share button, Facebook has their hooks in the page and can then track who visits that site. Obviously something as simple as a Share button could be a simple static image and URL. It would be nice to see websites use non-traceable versions of these kinds of social media buttons (including Twitter and others), since they are essentially giving away free data to Facebook and allowing all their website visitors to be tracked.
Firefox extension (Score:2)
...or just use a few Firefox extensions such as Priivacy Badger.
(blocks all these types of spyware buttons)
Hilarious (Score:3)
Sure, go ahead and clear the current live copy. The government and private clients have already been served.
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I suspect all you're doing is helping facebook fill a column named USERS_PERSONALITY_PROFILES_ATTRIBUTES_VALUES_PRIVACY.
Bears repeating (Score:2)
I'm curious, but... (Score:2)
Not enough to re-create the account I closed completely about six months ago. Not logging in for anything, and don't miss it.
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FB is still tracking you though. They even track you when you never had an account.
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Well indeed, they can *try*. I think it's reasonable to consider any relationship to be adversarial, so have always used the usual panapoly of browser extensions and the like to block ads, trackers and the like. Mozilla's containers are great here too.
Best. Joke. Ever. (Score:3)
"You can also opt out of future off-Facebook activity tracking, or selectively stop certain websites from sending your browsing activity to Facebook."
Oh, like the "do not track" option on the browser that everyone ignores? I'm sure believing them this time will yield a different result, right Charlie Brown?
Right. Fuck off with that.
Rapid Reviews (Score:1)