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This is why the argument that "you agreed to this" doesn't really make sense from a practical point of view. The only thing Facebook would need to make this wor
by mtgx 9y ago
This is why the argument that "you agreed to this" doesn't really make sense from a practical point of view. The only thing Facebook would need to make this work is probably the generic Camera permission, which I believe is already used to allow you to take photos with the Facebook app.
This is the sort of trick companies like Facebook can use to mislead people. They give them a feature that they actually use and need and isn't too nefarious. Then they request the permission to make that feature work, and then they add other features silently to further track you and analyze your behavior in ways most people wouldn't even imagine.
How could anyone possibly know that this is what Facebook intended to use that permission for? Shenanigans like these are what make me think even the GDPR may not provide enough privacy protection.
- kazagistar 9y agoGDPR allows you to remove the data if you discover they cross the line. Optimistically that encourages them to be good citizens about it so they can keep using that data.
- icebraining 9y agoThe GDPR doesn't allow you to ask for generic "Camera permissions". You have to specify for what you'll use the data. If later you want to use it for something else, you need to ask for further permissions. IANAGE (I am not a GDPR expert) EDIT: I don't think you need to ask if it's obvious (e.g. asking for generic Camera permission may be fine if the user is using the "take picture for profile" functionality). But that only gives you the right to use the PII for that specific functionality.
- pantulis 9y agoTo my understanding, IANAGE either, you are right. The purpose of data capture and processing must be explicitly acknowledged for the user. If you intend to use that data for another purpose, you need to ask consent. Plus, the user may revoke those permissions anytime. GDPR is going to be hard stuff.
- CompelTechnic 9y agoThere is an idea that I saw (I believe it was an HN comment some years ago) that would massively help privacy in the smartphone age. For every set of permissions an app requests, you can choose to allow or deny these permissions (as currently possible) or there would be a third option: provide a false set of data that imitates the data normally requested. e.g., instead of providing camera permission, the false data would return a black image with your camera resolution, and the app would function normally except that pictures would not appear. I believe that this would be an insanely useful feature. I know that I would use it quite a lot. It kind of reminds me of the secret codes that they show in spy movies- there is an authentication word that spies normally use when communicating with a contact, and a second alternative authentication word they can use when they are under duress (third party coercion) and need the contact to know this but interact under the guise that authentication proceeded as normal.
- Angostura 9y agoGDPR requires you to says simply and clearly, not only what data you are capturing, but also the purposes for which you are using it.