Does it worry you that fb and co. collect this much information about you?

[turinturambar]

Fundamentally I think that if you can only see positive outcomes of anything, it shows you haven't understood it properly.  Perhaps there are things without negatives, but I can't think of any off-hand.  Yes, Facebook and Google have many benefits, and I continue using them.  But they are also a social experiment on a scale that has rarely if ever been conducted before.

Yes, organisations like supermarkets have collected data for years.  But Facebook and Google have enough extra data to allow them to learn/guess all sorts of things about you that you haven't told them.  And this is made worse by their tracking you on other sites.  Technically, this is probably included in the terms and conditions, but I doubt it is known by most of their users, let alone that they have understood it sufficiently to give informed consent.  A better analogy for supermarkets would be if carrying a rewards card meant not only that the supermarket knew what you purchased, but also could record and cross-reference any discussion you had within the supermarket, as well as being able to track which library books you borrowed, which music you listened to, where you travelled, who your friends were and what they purchased, and so on.  Not what you signed up for?  Sorry, it's in the T&Cs.

Another point referenced earlier in this conversation but not noticed is that our information is not solely within our control.  Facebook can get information about us from our friends, and even completely opting out doesn't stop this.

Yes, we have sometimes explicitly given Facebook some of our information.  But I don't think we fully realise how much information we are giving them that we haven't explicitly chosen to share. And I don't think we fully realise how many different ways they can and do use that information.  Fundamentally, privacy matters, and consent to giving out private information should go beyond what information you give to how it can be used.

It's the same as if you order something online.  You give your address for a specific purpose, and you consent to a parcel being delivered to your address.  You don't consent to door-to-door marketing at that address.  Why should it be different for an online organisation like Facebook?

Finally, as I've already said, I have two other concerns that go beyond Facebook: That this rich source of personal information is at least theoretically available to governments, not just a company trying to sell ads, and that innocent actions now may look very different in 20 years.  And Facebook won't be forgetting any of it unless it's forced to (maybe not even then).

[S200]

Random question (Probably subtopic), but could this issue be circumvented by using Tor?

It would feed FB an entire stream of misleading information, which helps with the anonymity, but would have an adverse affect on the apparently useful suggestions of places around you...

[zofromuxo]

Random question (Probably subtopic), but could this issue be circumvented by using Tor?

It would feed FB an entire stream of misleading information, which helps with the anonymity, but would have an adverse affect on the apparently useful suggestions of places around you...

Nope. As Facebook collects information/data from you in other ways then just you logging in.

[zofromuxo]

Disclosure: Been about 2-3 years since I left Facebook, so a)I'm out of the loop on things, b) may make mistakes in counter-acting people's points, c) I'm too late to this party, so I'll try to ensure my facts & stats are accurate (but I don't have the time to check as this response may be invalid by the time I fact-check everything) and d) I'm going to be all over the place for this, so sorry for the incoherent mess.

Does it worry me? Yes. Its the reason I left Facebook and social media behind.
Does the collection of it surprise me? No
Should more people be concerned? Honestly yes, but I can understand why.

"People accept the data being collected"
Yes and no. I think what shocks/surprises people with these latest scandals over Facebook, Google, etc. Is the volume of it, how it is collected and how to harnessed it. The Russian scandals in the USA shows that. Cambridge Analytica shows this. People aren't concerned with the data itself, but how it was used against them and how it was collected. As many posters who mentioned the "I mentioned this thing and I see ads on it". The only answer I could gather from doing my experiments and other people posting about it on the internet is the microphone setting being on for Facebook. Yes. When you're on your Facebook app, it is using your microphone.
Test that out if you don't believe me.

I think even with these scandals, we will never know the full picture unless your behind the iron curtain on these things. I think what really gets to me is that intelligence agencies don't even bother developing better products to conduct intel on people, as they just work (or hack) these companies and get their data. I mean I have to applaud the Kremlin for using Facebook like a tool to get people like Trump to even affecting Brexit.

Overall, if your worried about these things. Leave the platforms. You can live a thriving social life without it. I know I have and many others have. But honestly these companies are going to have data on you even if you don't have an account. I know without a doubt I have a shadow account made on Facebook from the posts and photos people have uploaded about me on it. (Why do you think Tagging on Facebook has gotten better and better, the more you upload the photo of someone and tag them?) or (How is Google Maps so accurate with their travel times or how do they measure those "activity levels" for place?)

@EEEEEEP, Facebook owns Whatsapp... even though they supposedly say they don't data share between these platforms. Yours like others stories contradict this. So take what you will from it.


@Lear: I wonder what happen to the world if one day facebook just stopped being there for a month or so. It would be an extremely interesting study to do. Would there be mass hysteria?
-It has been done. Pre-Facebook is that! People lived without it and you can to this age. I don't think it would cause mass hysteria? We would just go back to using Emails or even video streaming services like Skype. People are obessed with instant messaging, in particular the "Instant" in it. Like it actually drives me nuts that people argue over someone not responding to a text, they sent a hour ago. Maybe people have lives and aren't glued to their phones?