4 ms·

I HAD to sign up for an account - don't ask why. After about 1 hour of usage trying to do what I had to get done, it REQUIRED a phone number for security purpos

I HAD to sign up for an account - don't ask why. After about 1 hour of usage trying to do what I had to get done, it REQUIRED a phone number for security purposes. Seconds after I entered the phone number (for security purposes) I was blasted by about 400 recommended connections including some ex-girlfriends that I'm sure my wife would LOVE me to be friends with. Go facebook. I'm guessing those people got notified that I was there too, but at least I was able to delete the account.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
netsharc 9y ago
The other side probably got notified too. I remember seeing a peculiar name on FB's "you might know..." list, I wondered where I saw that name before. I looked in my mail inbox, and it's a guy who sold me something on eBay a few years ago. I never gave Facebook access to my mail account, but what I'm pretty sure happened is that guy did just that. FB saw that we exchanged some emails, and said (probably to both parties): "Hey, be FB-friends with this person!". I wonder what the security implications are. I think a security researcher added a lot of phone numbers into his phone and let Facebook read it, and Facebook responded with names and faces of those numbers.
- x0 9y ago
  RE the phone number thing, isn't that common knowledge? You can type in any phone number, and if their privacy settings allow it, their profile pops up.
- johnpowell 9y ago
  This happened to me too. There was a guy on Reddit looking for help setting up Plex on a dedicated server. I run a small chat room and helped him out in there. But we did exchange a few emails. I use fastmail and he uses gmail. A few days later he pops in the people you might know thing. At the time I did not have a cell phone so I am assuming he gave the app access to his contacts or something. I think it is safe to say Facebook has a pretty detailed profile about you even if you never made an account.
  - cmoscoso 9y ago
    Facebook can't even guess my name on emails I receive weekly about what my “friends” are up to. They think my name is Martin Salum. ps: never used facebook.
- jzl 9y ago
  You think that's bad? This was a really good expose on the darker side of Facebook's "People You May Know" feature: https://gizmodo.com/how-facebook-outs-sex-workers-1818861596 https://gizmodo.com/how-facebook-outs-sex-workers-1818861596
  - marcodave 9y ago
    As unnerving as it might seem, let's not forget that Facebook has a HUGE database of faces and relationship with those faces. Even though is not active, Facebook AI could easily auto-tag me in every photo ever posted by anyone, friend or foe. Therefore, facebook could also make a connection between your "real me" and your "other secret me", purely on a set of photos, tags and profile pictures
chillacy 9y ago
Oh it's 2018, being friends with all of your exes is just the norm, so you can constantly live in the past, never letting go..

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

netsharc 9y ago

The other side probably got notified too. I remember seeing a peculiar name on FB's "you might know..." list, I wondered where I saw that name before. I looked in my mail inbox, and it's a guy who sold me something on eBay a few years ago. I never gave Facebook access to my mail account, but what I'm pretty sure happened is that guy did just that. FB saw that we exchanged some emails, and said (probably to both parties): "Hey, be FB-friends with this person!". I wonder what the security implications are. I think a security researcher added a lot of phone numbers into his phone and let Facebook read it, and Facebook responded with names and faces of those numbers.

x0 9y ago
RE the phone number thing, isn't that common knowledge? You can type in any phone number, and if their privacy settings allow it, their profile pops up.
johnpowell 9y ago
This happened to me too. There was a guy on Reddit looking for help setting up Plex on a dedicated server. I run a small chat room and helped him out in there. But we did exchange a few emails. I use fastmail and he uses gmail. A few days later he pops in the people you might know thing. At the time I did not have a cell phone so I am assuming he gave the app access to his contacts or something. I think it is safe to say Facebook has a pretty detailed profile about you even if you never made an account.
- cmoscoso 9y ago
  Facebook can't even guess my name on emails I receive weekly about what my “friends” are up to. They think my name is Martin Salum. ps: never used facebook.
jzl 9y ago
You think that's bad? This was a really good expose on the darker side of Facebook's "People You May Know" feature: https://gizmodo.com/how-facebook-outs-sex-workers-1818861596 https://gizmodo.com/how-facebook-outs-sex-workers-1818861596
- marcodave 9y ago
  As unnerving as it might seem, let's not forget that Facebook has a HUGE database of faces and relationship with those faces. Even though is not active, Facebook AI could easily auto-tag me in every photo ever posted by anyone, friend or foe. Therefore, facebook could also make a connection between your "real me" and your "other secret me", purely on a set of photos, tags and profile pictures

chillacy 9y ago

Oh it's 2018, being friends with all of your exes is just the norm, so you can constantly live in the past, never letting go..