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Bad, bad Facebook!
#48536 04/12/18 09:09 AM
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grelber Offline OP
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Two articles which demonstrate that Facebook is your worst enemy, even if you don't subscribe to Facebook. And Google could be worse yet. shocked frown mad

I Downloaded the Information That Facebook Has on Me. Yikes.

What You Don’t Know About How Facebook Uses Your Data

Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
grelber #48538 04/12/18 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
....Facebook is your worst enemy, even if you don't subscribe to Facebook. And Google could be worse yet. shocked frown mad

I'd guess that it's also "even if you don't own a computer". Every time a non-owner applies for a credit card, or joins a retailer's customer club, et cetera, the paper application is entered into a computer with name, address, phone and other information. And, of course, that's likely shared and eventually easily matched with data stored in their friends' computer contact software.

Last edited by ryck; 04/12/18 02:41 PM.

ryck

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Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
grelber #48539 04/12/18 02:46 PM
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Makes me feel like barfing! mad

Never joined Facebook, never sign in to Google, never will.

Well... Actually I just did sign in to Google to see what Google Takeout would tell me, but it couldn't tell me anything...perhaps because I never sign in?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
artie505 #48546 04/12/18 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Makes me feel like barfing! mad

Ditto....and I almost did, listening to Zuckerberg's weasel-like responses to many of the questions asked by The Congressional committee. Most revealing about the Facebook management attitude was the memo produced by Senator Lindsay.

It's best described in this reporter's column.

Last edited by ryck; 04/12/18 07:16 PM.

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Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
artie505 #48548 04/12/18 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Well... Actually I just did sign in to Google to see what Google Takeout would tell me, but it couldn't tell me anything...perhaps because I never sign in?

You dreamer you! You don't have to logon for Google to capture a lot of data about you and from that it is amazing what they can deduce and pinpoint you as an individual.
  • Did you ever do a Google Search? (Is there anyone who hasn't?).
  • Did you ever visit a third party web site that uses Google Analytics? (the majority do or have third party advertising banners that do)
  • Did you ever plan a journey using Google Maps? Did you designate a location as "Home"?
  • Did you ever access a third party web site that turned out to be a Facebook Page or Google App and would you know it if you did?
  • Did you ever log onto the Internet and visit a website using any browser than TOR with the security settings on maximum? (A VPN is better than nothing but at best that only offers partial hiding.)
  • Did you ever send an email to someone who uses Gmail? (if they are on a Google App, Gmail probably is not in their email address but it still goes through the Gmail servers and Google still collects the data.)
  • Who owns the DNS server you use and what arrangements do they have with Google for data sharing?
Facebook was at least initially pretty well bounded within the Facebook community, but Zukerberg's concept is/was based on everyone in the Facebook community knowing everything about everyone else in the Facebook community. More and more advertising on Facebook has expanded that outside of the actual Facebook community — a LOT, and of course there was the recent faux paux.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
joemikeb #48552 04/13/18 05:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Well... Actually I just did sign in to Google to see what Google Takeout would tell me, but it couldn't tell me anything...perhaps because I never sign in?

You dreamer you! You don't have to logon for Google to capture a lot of data about you and from that it is amazing what they can deduce and pinpoint you as an individual.

You overlooked the Google Takeout part, and we're apparently both correct.

I finally got my Google Takeout, a minuscule 3.5 MB file, and its only personally identifiable content was the image - no text - part of my FTM avatar. (Confused about why on both accounts.)

Of the 3.5 MB, 3 MB was a Google Drive tutorial, and almost all of the rest was my "Index" and a link to my YouTube subscriptions (of which I've got none).

The lack of content is presumably the result of my never logging in to Google, but, on the other hand, I'm sure there's an enormous body of info somewhere out there that's tied to my ISP address but, hopefully, not linked to my name.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
artie505 #48558 04/14/18 05:38 PM
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FWIW, ways to view or download your Facebook or Google datasets have been widely discussed lately, but I haven’t seen all that much about deleting such data, assuming that’s even possible given 3rd party copies etc. Be that as it may, here’s the scoop for deleting your Google search history. Note, however, that this—apart from affecting your future web browsing—doesn’t do much to stop data aggregators from following you on the Internet, even when you use tools available to limit your exposure.


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Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
alternaut #48559 04/15/18 08:50 AM
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Good links! I'm sure Google and Facebook users will jump on them.

Happily, I've never been either. laugh

(Deleting your Google browser history apparently requires Chrome, which I've never even d/l'ed.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Google and Facebook
joemikeb #48560 04/15/18 06:17 PM
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Perhaps I am just pessimistic (or realistic?), but I take the position that everything I do on The Net is seen by anyone who wants to get at it - banking, emails, naughty sites, whatever. I put little stock in the "security" that such sites supposedly provide. Ditto with VPNs and Google Takeout.

And I would hardly expect anyone checking into my activities without my permission would be upfront about doing so.

P.S. I have used Google searches, but have never been a Facebook member (although, as joemikeb mentioned, I have been automatically re-directed to a Facebook page).

Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48565 04/16/18 08:12 AM
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This all makes my head spin around fast enough to give me a headache!

Every time I look at matters such as these in what I think is a realistic manner, I reach the same conclusion, i.e. that much of my life was "out there" in the clear in public and other records looong before any of the current über-bad guys reared their ugly heads, and that since I can't make it go away, and I've got nothing new to hide, I'm just going to live my life on the path of least resistance (in my particular context).

I studiously avoid know data aggregators such as Google and Facebook, I run Ghostery and AdBlock, and as for the guys who've got only my ISP address, who cares if they know which innocuous medications the anonymous person who uses this particular computer takes or which sneakers se buys? It's simply not important enough to me to make me either lose sleep or invest more than minimal time in it!

Sure, I've been in many of joemike's enumerated situations, but they all fall into the same "So what?" category.

Appearing to wear your heart on your sleeve is a wonderful smokescreen, particularly when you're aware of possibilities and how to circumvent them!

A question, though: Everybody talks about targeted ads, and I'd love to know where people see them; I pretty much never see ANY ads, let alone any that I'd call "targeted".


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Google and Facebook
artie505 #48569 04/16/18 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Sure, I've been in many of joemike's enumerated situations, but they all fall into the same "So what?" category.

Ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Google and Facebook
joemikeb #48570 04/16/18 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Sure, I've been in many of joemike's enumerated situations, but they all fall into the same "So what?" category.

Ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes.

I'll stick my neck out and ask exactly what you meant by that.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Google and Facebook
artie505 #48571 04/16/18 04:57 PM
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My guess would be: Taking on a "so what" attitude doesn't negate that fact that nefarious activity can be going on in the background which could be harmful to you.

It's not that I don't care, but I, like you, will only let worrying about such things take up a minimal amount of my head space.

As far as unsolicited email ads are concerned, I discovered the delete button on my keyboard and use it regularly. grin

Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48572 04/16/18 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
I'll stick my neck out and ask exactly what you meant by that.

Originally Posted By: MG2009
My guess would be: Taking on a "so what" attitude doesn't negate that fact that nefarious activity can be going on in the background which could be harmful to you.

Right in one MG2009.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Google and Facebook
joemikeb #48594 04/20/18 05:21 AM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Sure, I've been in many of joemike's enumerated situations, but they all fall into the same "So what?" category.

Appearing to wear your heart on your sleeve is a wonderful smokescreen, particularly when you're aware of possibilities and how to circumvent them!

Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes.

Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
I'll stick my neck out and ask exactly what you meant by that.

Originally Posted By: MG2009
My guess would be: Taking on a "so what" attitude doesn't negate that fact that nefarious activity can be going on in the background which could be harmful to you.

Right in one MG2009.

That calls for clarification.

You're implying that the trail I leave behind when I anonymously search with Google can be a springboard for "nefarious activity", and I'd like to know how, and what it might be.

I'll jump on your DuckDuckGo/Tor scheme if I've ever got something to hide, but until then, why even suggest that I may have something to hide? I don't see how adding additional innocuous info to the body of innocuous info about my ISP address that's already been collected can put me at risk, and I won't be happy to find out, but I'm certainly curious.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Google and Facebook
artie505 #48595 04/20/18 02:33 PM
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All I can say by way of clarification is that - speaking for myself now - I do not think that my activities on The Net are as "anonymous" and protected as websites would like me to believe.

I was in NO WAY saying or implying that YOU in particular had something to hide. My only point is that anyone who wants to dig around other people's business - with some extra effort and knowhow - probably can do so (i.e. in the context of the Google/Facebook/ Unsolicited Advertising discussion mentioned earlier). I have no "proof" per se. On the other hand, by way of example, look how easily the news media gets hold of folks' emails and text messages to support their latest headlines, etc. Are such messages always "voluntarily submitted" for broadcast or publication . . . or are some of these messages "retrieved" without permission?

I still stand by my original "gut feeling" : Anyone who really wants to track or monitor me probably can - although I have no idea why anybody would bother. smile

Last edited by MG2009; 04/20/18 02:42 PM. Reason: grammar
Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48597 04/20/18 03:17 PM
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Nicely said....

No one truly knows exactly what tidbits of personal information exist in "the public domain" for retrieval and reassembly into something perhaps MORE revealing than you would be comfortable having openly revealed.

...and thus this discussion.


Freedom is never free....thank a Service member today.
Re: Google and Facebook
MacManiac #48600 04/20/18 10:31 PM
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Re: "Nicely said...."


-------------------------


Tanx.

I just remembered another example: A while ago I was looking at a real estate site. Within minutes, I received a generic email from a mortgage company in my junk inbox.

Coincidence or targeted? Either way, the timing is kind of spooky. smirk

Re: Bad, bad Facebook!
grelber #48862 05/18/18 06:58 AM
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Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48951 05/29/18 06:15 PM
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One more thing . . .


This morning I wrote an email to a friend in which I included - among other tidbits - a mention of household insurance.

Within FIVE minutes, I received not one BUT three ad emails from insurance companies I have never communicated with before - either online or offline.

Yes . . . online activities, even "private" emails, are being monitored/scanned. To me, it would be far too coincidental that three different companies would contact me so quickly regarding such a specific topic not otherwise regularly found in my emails.

And, no, I am not being paranoid. Just reporting what happened as it happened. wink

Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48953 05/29/18 07:16 PM
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GMail acc't???? On either end, outgoing server or incoming?


Freedom is never free....thank a Service member today.
Re: Google and Facebook
MacManiac #48956 05/30/18 06:11 AM
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While I understand your curiosity, my intention was not to single out any particular email service.

I only mention the incident now in the context of the earlier discussions about Facebook's and Google's tracking practices. It would appear (to me) that email providers may have similar accessibility - something I had not considered until quite recently.


Many thanks,
MG2009
Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48957 05/30/18 06:57 AM
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I've NEVER received a targeted email. grin

My only guess is that it's because I don't use Gmail, I've never broken bread with Facebook, and I basically never log in to Google.

A bunch of years back I posted here wondering what had happened to my Google prefs cookie which, among other useful things, enabled 'n' hits per page rather than the default 10, but I never got a response. I've since discovered that Google moved it behind their login pane...I'll guess because they realized they were giving us non-logger-inners free functionality. mad

As much as I miss that functionality, I've never looked back.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Google and Facebook
MG2009 #48962 05/30/18 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: MacManiac
GMail acc't???? On either end, outgoing server or incoming?

Originally Posted By: MG2009
While I understand your curiosity, my intention was not to single out any particular email service.

Whether or not you choose to reveal the service, you at least may have reason to consider changing….if you are with GMail.

My experience is exactly the same as artie….no targeted emails. And, I have the same conditions….not on Gmail and don’t log into Google so, while my email provider may “have similar accessibility”, they are not using it to send targeted emails. Just sayin’.

Last edited by ryck; 05/30/18 03:08 PM.

ryck

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Re: Google and Facebook
ryck #48963 05/30/18 03:54 PM
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Re: My experience is exactly the same as artie….no targeted emails . . .

----------------

I get AD emails a fair amount on subjects related to WEBSITES which I have visited. My "Junk Mail" filter usually catches those.

This was the first time I received an ad email related to subject matter contained in a personal EMAIL . . . and three of them within minutes of sending my email.

Perhaps just a coincidence. Kind of freaky, though.


Many thanks,
MG2009
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