Privacy News Facebook accused of giving over 60 device makers inappropriate access to user data

LASER_oneXM

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Feb 4, 2016
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Did the social network share too much when making deals with companies like Samsung and BlackBerry?

A report from The New York Times has accused Facebook of sharing inappropriate amounts of user data with device manufacturers like Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, and BlackBerry.

Starting 10 years ago, Facebook began making deals with these companies to help them build Facebook apps for their phones and tablets and integrate Facebook functionality into their operating systems. (For example, letting users share photos with Facebook friends without directly visiting Facebook’s app or website.) In order for these integrations to function, Facebook gave these companies access to user data through so-called private APIs. The Times suggests that the level of access given to companies raises concerns about Facebook’s compliance with FTC privacy legislation. Facebook rejects this claim and says its deals were “tightly” controlled and above board.
The Times’ story includes one example of how these private APIs share data. Using a 2013 BlackBerry smartphone, a reporter used his Facebook account to log on to BlackBerry’s proprietary Hub software, which combines social network feeds with messaging and email. After this, BlackBerry’s software was able to retrieve not only data about the reporter’s 556 Facebook friends (including relationship statuses and religious and political leanings) but also “identifying information” belonging to nearly 300,000 friends of the reporter’s friends.
 
F

ForgottenSeer 58943

Is no different from Google... So just avoid Android altogether :LOL:

Then what? Use iOS which is far worse and doesn't offer any flexibility at all? No thanks.

Android is EASY to secure. Sockpuppet Google Accounts, F-Droid Apps, Disable anything not necessary. Install microphone and camera blockers, etc.. You can actually make a fairly hardened android phone with very little effort.
 

Azure

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Then what? Use iOS which is far worse and doesn't offer any flexibility at all? No thanks.

Android is EASY to secure. Sockpuppet Google Accounts, F-Droid Apps, Disable anything not necessary. Install microphone and camera blockers, etc.. You can actually make a fairly hardened android phone with very little effort.
Apple jams Facebook's web-tracking tools
"Apple will attempt to frustrate tools used by Facebook to automatically track web users, within the next version of its iOS and Mac operating systems."
 
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HarborFront

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Disabling or uninstalling FB app itself is no use. There're 2 other FB-related apps and they are facebook app manager and facebook app installer. These latter 2 cannot be uninstalled unless you root the phone.

Avoid phones from Apple, MS, BlackBerry, Samsung, LG, SONY, HTC, Lenovo, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, ZTE, Amazon etc

So, the next obvious choice in not having FB pre-installed on your phone is to get one without FB. Google Pixel and OnePlus phones do not come with FB pre-installed neither do they have the 2 FB-related apps.

If you want to have one guy less tracking you then OnePlus phone is the one you should be getting.
 
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annka

New Member
Jun 6, 2018
1
In order to protect my privacy online, and to control the privacy settings in my social network accounts, i choose to use PlusPrivacy app. It's free and very good one. Everyone should try this app !!!
Home
 
Aug 26, 2017
13
Most people are not aware what FB has been doing in the past. Couple of weeks ago, 2 of my friends didn't even know that their photos on FB was actually set to public and anyone can view them so they were very shocked
 

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