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Equifax leaked 142M SSNs alongwith name, email, dob and address for all Americans with credit history. KGB most assuredly already have that data. Why is people'

Equifax leaked 142M SSNs alongwith name, email, dob and address for all Americans with credit history. KGB most assuredly already have that data. Why is people's photographs (most of them of which are already public on Instagram) and friend list (which if KGB wanted to get for their targets, they can get in a day) so critical? Google has location data for each and every person globally at almost every minute - I feel that is much more useful than what FB has - if you think from KGB's perspective.

musage 9y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16613956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16613956 This, too, is missing the middle bit -- where adults with a spine and a conscience struggle for their dignity and a world that's better, not worse than the one we were born into. > Why is people's photographs (most of them of which are already public on Instagram) and friend list (which if KGB wanted to get for their targets, they can get in a day) so critical? Why is it so critical for you to be onboard? Why isn't "if you still have to ask you just don't get it" enough for other people to organize around and despite you?
kerng 9y ago
You might not fully be aware, but there is much more to tracking, then the information you biblically post. Every website you visit they know know of, messages you send, they have (incl. private) every transaction you make with your credit card is being gathered/received (indirectly) and collected leveraged by Facebook. The amount of information the possess is unbelievable - and those are the things we know about, reality is probably that there are many other sources where they gather intelligence about you.
- product50 9y ago
  Yeah - but so does Google and I would argue they know far more than FB does given they own a mobile OS, searches, have credit card info including transactions, have major partnerships with publishers who share data etc. Why is the backlash only against Facebook?
  - kerng 9y ago
    I think Google is pretty much under the same scrutiny, it just happens that recently this Cambridge Analytica news brokw lose, and that dataset appears to have its origins at Facebook. So naturally the focus is on them right now.

musage 9y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16613956 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16613956 This, too, is missing the middle bit -- where adults with a spine and a conscience struggle for their dignity and a world that's better, not worse than the one we were born into. > Why is people's photographs (most of them of which are already public on Instagram) and friend list (which if KGB wanted to get for their targets, they can get in a day) so critical? Why is it so critical for you to be onboard? Why isn't "if you still have to ask you just don't get it" enough for other people to organize around and despite you?

kerng 9y ago

You might not fully be aware, but there is much more to tracking, then the information you biblically post. Every website you visit they know know of, messages you send, they have (incl. private) every transaction you make with your credit card is being gathered/received (indirectly) and collected leveraged by Facebook. The amount of information the possess is unbelievable - and those are the things we know about, reality is probably that there are many other sources where they gather intelligence about you.

product50 9y ago
Yeah - but so does Google and I would argue they know far more than FB does given they own a mobile OS, searches, have credit card info including transactions, have major partnerships with publishers who share data etc. Why is the backlash only against Facebook?
- kerng 9y ago
  I think Google is pretty much under the same scrutiny, it just happens that recently this Cambridge Analytica news brokw lose, and that dataset appears to have its origins at Facebook. So naturally the focus is on them right now.