# Am I the only one not spun up about Facebook? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065 "2018-03-23T13:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/41 "2018-03-24T13:55:17Z")
I read the Facebook on my laptop, but I won’t put it on my phone, the list of permissions is downright scary. So I really only check it out in the evening before I shut down for the night. I mean, to me, it’s just copy and sharing, or do I have dull friends? And I would never ever click into one of those quizzes, they just smell bad. In fact, if I want to click to read more, I 99% of the time, open a new window and go to the non-FB source of the story. I should be OK??? ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/42 "2018-03-24T13:56:24Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Sorry I threadshit. I didn’t realize. You really can’t help yourself, can you? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/43 "2018-03-24T14:55:58Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > You really can’t help yourself, can you? Jesus Christ, almost 5k posts in 7-ish months. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/44 "2018-03-24T15:26:30Z")
Ok, folks. Keep the personal comments out of here. Thanks. > [@DummyGladHands](#): > > You really can’t help yourself, can you? > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Jesus Christ, almost 5k posts in 7-ish months. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/45 "2018-03-24T18:24:09Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > Everyone knows Facebook sells their data to advertisers. People didn’t realize that their data + marketing campaign could be used to influence more than just their soap purchase. If a group like Cambridge Analytica can use Facebook data to basically decide who wins the next election, that’s more than people signed up for. That’s a part of my concern. 1. We understood that our data would be held by Facebook, and used to target advertising purchased through them. 2. We understood that we had a right to decide certain posts were available only to people we had friended. 3. We understood that only posts we had made on fbook would be available to anyone else. (i.e.,not the app watching how we use other aspects of our devices, and not our private messaging conversations.) 4. We understood that Fbook was in control of the data they were given access to. What CA did that is so shocking, was to ask people to sign in with their fbook password to take these quizzes. They then used that access to mine friend-friend level information from the quiz-takers newsfeed. CA phished every one of those millions of people to gain access to every one on their friend list. Just one dumbass narcissist you knew in high school could suddenly negate every decision you’d made about privacy settings,because she wanted to know what flower matched her personality. :roll eyes: This is especially galling because the privacy rights and settings were already changing way too often. Those of us who care,and who made definite decisions about what to share and to whom, were spending an inordinate amount of time trying to comprehend what the various settings mean this week. So to then find out that none of it mattered anyway just royally sucked. As an experienced contracts and acquisitions negotiator, each time the privacy rules changed, I’d try to figure out what a customer had asked fbook to do for them and how fbook would then use that info to target ads. It never occurred to me to worry that the right to mine raw data would be sold to anyone. And now we are left with the question of whether that was indeed allowed under the Agreement signed between Fbook and CA. Did Fbook properly define the rights it was selling? Was there a well-defined fair use case? Did CA simply breach the agreement? What risks were we put to without our consent? Did they provide information to target political advertising? Or did they advise on strategies to influence US elections? There is a difference, and the latter is illegal, ESPECIALLY if those involved are not US citizens. Smarter people than me are looking into all that. I suspect the answer will be this: That CA used a fairly standard fbook ad to get people to click into a website of its own. That once they were at that website, the dumbasses then gave up their access information of their own accord, and that in return, they got a vague compliment and a lovely photo of peonies in blossom, which they must obviously have considered to be full value, as they went on the next day to find out what color their aura might be. I just hope all that doesn’t get in the way of proving that Russia influenced our election. People connected to Cambridge Analytica so far: Steve Bannon - Former VP and founder Robert Mercer - Primary investor and co-founder Jennifer and Rebekah Mercer - investors and Directors of sister company EmerData Ted Cruz - both customer and (possibly unwitting) contributor His campaign app went so far as to track the physical movements of his supporters and report them to CA databases. John Bolton- his SUPERPAC was a primary customer using CA to influence multiple US elections. Ben Carson - Client Marco Rubio - Client ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/46 "2018-03-24T18:29:03Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > . . . > Second, I downloaded my data and found nothing harmful in it, but some folks are finding logs of their calls - who they called, and how long they were on. Apparently that’s part of the data that was stolen. The fact that they’d even collect that is troubling. > > . . . How can I do this? I’d like very much to know what is out there about me. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/47 "2018-03-24T19:15:27Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Everyone is all dramatic about the Facebook data thing. I am baffled. > > Really? Are you the same people that got all spazzed out about the NSA collecting phone data? Hello McFly! That is what they do! > > News flash: Facebook sells your data to advertisers. Everyone say it with me “If you get the service for free, you are the product.” > > If you don’t want the whole world knowing it, don’t put it on Facebook. I thought that was Internet 101. > > Thats it, everyone needs to go to remedial Internet class. Go! Let me see if I can help your bafflement. Facebook has a long history of careless handling of user data and a reckless disregard for privacy issues, even those that are legally mandated. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is new but this systemic problem with Facebook is not, or else headlines like this wouldn’t be so commonplace … [Facebook may have violated FTC privacy deal, say former federal officials](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/18/facebook-may-have-violated-ftc-privacy-deal-say-former-federal-officials-triggering-risk-of-massive-fines/?utm_term=.da365dda2724) [Facebook is still violating user privacy, Dutch and French regulators say](https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/17/15651740/facebook-privacy-violation-france-netherlands-fine) [Facebook Faces Growing Pressure Over Data and Privacy Inquiries](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/business/ftc-facebook-privacy-investigation.html) [Here’s Why Facebook Got a $1.4 Million Privacy Fine in Spain](http://fortune.com/2017/09/11/facebook-privacy-fine-spain/) [Privacy Commissioner launches Facebook investigation](https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/news-and-announcements/2018/nr-c_180320/) [Facebook to address Canadian privacy issues](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/facebook-to-address-canadian-privacy-issues-1.858701) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/48 "2018-03-24T20:45:48Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > How can I do this? I’d like very much to know what is out there about me. This only worked on the browser version of FB for me, I couldn’t get the app to do it. [https://www.facebook.com/help/302796099745838](https://www.facebook.com/help/302796099745838) ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/49 "2018-03-24T22:26:03Z")
I have friends who post everything about their lives, including vacation schedules – an open invite to be burglarized. I am also bothered by how some friends also post everything about their kids A few weeks ago I researched prices on supervised (Lambo, etc) out of sheer curiosity. I’m getting some really cool FB ads now! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/50 "2018-03-24T23:33:20Z")
I have cousins who were burglarized after posting on social media about their vacation plans. I think my mother said there house was completely emptied. But what’s this “supervised” that you were researching? ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/51 "2018-03-25T01:01:58Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > What CA did that is so shocking, was to ask people to sign in with their fbook password to take these quizzes. They then used that access to mine friend-friend level information from the quiz-takers newsfeed. CA phished every one of those millions of people to gain access to every one on their friend list. The ability for your friends’ apps to see your data can be disabled, but Facebook has deliberately made it difficult. It is also not allowed for third party applications to help you set these things, which is why there are so many guides around helping to navigate the process, instead of a one-click lock-down Facebook app. Once you find the place to disable friends’ apps extracting data, it is not clear if you are supposed to check to block or uncheck to block. You can also disable all apps from getting information, but that also disables any app or game you might want to use and using Facebook logins on other websites, which you might find useful. To me, the problem isn’t that the data was **stolen** , but that an environment was setup to let it be taken according to the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/52 "2018-03-25T16:06:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I have cousins who were burglarized after posting on social media about their vacation plans. I think my mother said there house was completely emptied. > > But what’s this “supervised” that you were researching? Supercars - dann AC ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/53 "2018-03-25T21:30:06Z")
There wouldn’t be the same uproar if it wasn’t somehow attached to Trump. There wasn’t when it was Obama, which was only different in technicalities if at all. That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any worry about this general issue or problem, that Facebook’s whole business model is gathering data about users to sell, one way or another, to people targeting messages to those users. Again if _Facebook_ was properly compensated or otherwise OK with it on one case but not another (which seems the difference if any between this case and prior otherwise similar ones with ‘good’ rather than ‘evil’ politicians doing the same thing), I don’t see how that’s relevant to users or the public generally being pissed at Facebook. Maybe law and regulation should prohibit targeting via social media for political purposes but allow it for selling products. If that can really be distinguished (clever people can obscure all kinds of distinctions that seem obvious at first glance). Forget ‘fake’ when it comes to political messages. The whole purpose of politics is to provide a peaceful means to sort out what the majority thinks is ‘fake’ or ‘real’. The idea of some separate authority deciding what is ‘fake’, Facebook or other, is part of the problem not a solution. If Facebook really has that much influence on politics (which I doubt) it’s better to regulate it, out of viable existence if necessary, than have it decide what’s right or wrong in politics. I don’t use Facebook at all except a fake account to comment on news articles. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/54 "2018-03-25T21:56:41Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > There wouldn’t be the same uproar if it wasn’t somehow attached to Trump. There wasn’t when it was Obama, **which was only different in technicalities if at all.** …this is incorrect. This is so fundamentally incorrect they have hung it up pride of place in the Museum of the Fundamentally Incorrect. The Obama campaign did not do anything remotely technically close to [this](https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/25/17161726/facebook-cambridge-analytica-data-online-marketers)at all. And if they did: the uproar from the media would make Hillary’s email scandal look like a tea party. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/55 "2018-03-25T21:57:47Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > There wouldn’t be the same uproar if it wasn’t somehow attached to Trump. There wasn’t when it was Obama, which was only different in technicalities if at all. I’m not familiar with this comparison, but you apparently are; what exactly did Obama do with Facebook? ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065/56 "2018-03-25T23:42:28Z")
This wouldn’t be such a problem if people stopped using social media as a news source. What is a Facebook news feed? I’ve had a Facebook account for a decade or so and, if I have one, clearly I never used it since I don’t know what that is. (Maybe I see it every time I visit Facebook, but it just fades into the background with all the other stuff.) Like I’m one to talk. I use Google News a lot. I don’t think it’s particularly biased one way or the other, but I’m sure it’s noted what type of news stories I like and pushes those (this is probably why I see so many Huffington Post links, which I avoid as that’s too left-wing for me). It just seems slightly more vetted. Slightly. Plus you can push news stories (on Google News and Facebook) by (ab)using Twitter. Could they please stop using Twitter as a news source? We can’t blame it entirely on social media either. You could get a very biased view just by only using one channel, or only listening to talk radio, or only reading one newspaper, even if you never use a computer. > [@Hermitian](#): > > If you don’t want the whole world knowing it, don’t put it on Facebook. I thought that was Internet 101. > > Thats it, everyone needs to go to remedial Internet class. Go! Unfortunately we live in a world where that class is required. I’ve complained before about people younger than me not knowing how to use a computer (and believe me, I am **far** from a computer genius). But it’s worse. People store “intimate images” of themselves, sometimes intended only for intimate partners or sometimes taken in workplaces, libraries, or other places where that’s maybe not a good idea and posted publicly (but not under their names). People have been hacked (first category) and people have been exposed (second category). Men put (briefs-covered) crotch shots on social media and then act surprised when they are _repeatedly_ exposed. People have been fired from work because they posted pictures from vacation on Facebook… when they were supposedly sick, grieving, or had some other reason to not be at work. Well, maybe not that class. More like “common sense 101”. It’s not common, and I’m sure I need to take that class. (Not **re** take. It’s not offered anywhere.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-not-spun-up-about-facebook/811065.md?page=2)