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There are a number of inaccuracies in this article that I'd like to correct: > The Facebook app also appears to share numbers for contacts that you don’t have,

There are a number of inaccuracies in this article that I'd like to correct: > The Facebook app also appears to share numbers for contacts that you don’t have, but your Facebook friends do. This does not happen. After syncing, the Facebook Phonebook only displays contact information you have access to. This includes: 1.Phone numbers your friends have manually added to their profile. 2.Phone numbers already in your address book. > Facebook does this without your knowledge or consent. Also inaccurate. To enable the syncing feature you must: 1. Open iPhone app. 2.Click "Friends" 3. Click Sync 4.Turn "On" (this page could probably be more clear) 5."I Agree" to the notice explaining what information will be transferred: "If you enable this feature, all contacts from your device (name, email, address, phone number) will be sent to Facebook and be subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy, and your friends' profile photos and other info from Facebook will be added to your iPhone address book. Please make sure your friends are comfortable with any use you make of their information. [I Don't Agree] [I Agree]" > the Facebook iPhone app seems to ignore Apple’s rules on user consent, specifically point 7.1 which states: “Apps cannot transmit data about a user obtaining the user’s prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used.” Inaccurate. See above. That said, it's possible the app could be more clear. I will create an internal ticket with new suggested language. > To be extra secure, I recommend removing yourself from Facebook Phonebook though this link, which appears to be down at the moment - possibly due to high demand. Accurate. I pinged the engineer that is working on this. Turns out they took the page down for some scheduled downtime. They're working hard to get it back online in response to this article. Disclaimer: I'm not directly involved in this feature at Facebook (but I am somewhat familiar with it).

spinchange 16y ago
>This includes: 1.Phone numbers your friends have manually added to their profile. 2.Phone numbers already in your address book. Why do I have numerous contacts on my facebook phonebook page for whom I don't have a number in my phone, and they don't have their number listed anywhere on their profiles? (I've checked and rechecked)
- Sam_Odio 16y ago
  It's possible that you previously synced that number. Can you email me directly with your Facebook profile ID or alias? I'd like to investigate: samodio@company.com EDIT (1 hour later): I haven't received your email and we haven't been able to reproduce your bug. Can you email me (even if it's just user error) with a more detailed description? I want to make sure we follow up on this.
  - spinchange 16y ago
    I can provide you with my facebook name, but I don't think you'll be able to reproduce -or- see anything with that alone. (It's not really a 'bug') I am simply seeing phone numbers of facebook friends (on my "facebook phonebook" page) who 1) do not have any phone numbers listed in their FB profiles, and 2) that I do not have phone numbers for in my own contact list on my iPhone.
    - Sam_Odio 16y ago
      What you're describing is a bug that hasn't previously been reported to us. Why are you hesitant to follow up via email so that we can investigate?
      - spinchange 16y ago
        I am not hesitant to follow-up via email. I sent one to the address you supplied above and it hard-bounced. Beside, what will my facebook user name provide you? You won't be able to see my account or phonebook page. Who is the "us" you are referring to? The domain you provided is company.com? Are you a facebook employee? EDIT: I see from your HN profile you are affiliated with FB. Perhaps I am misunderstanding where to send you my info? samodio@company.com is returning an invalid address error. EDIT 2: Sorry, Sam. I think I got my mail to you the second time around. Apologies.
extension 16y ago
My suggestion, change: "Add Facebook profile pictures and links to Contacts" to something like "Share contact info and profile pictures between Facebook and the iPhone address book"
mattmanser 16y ago
You're missing the point, people will assume a sync will be one way. As in contact details onto phone. Not phone numbers onto facebook. This article is a knee-jerk, it doesn't matter what's really happening, why the hell did Facebook take people's phone numbers? What does facebook need them for, apart from nefarious evil? We all know non-techies don't read alerts, they just expect things to work as they'd expect.

spinchange 16y ago

>This includes: 1.Phone numbers your friends have manually added to their profile. 2.Phone numbers already in your address book. Why do I have numerous contacts on my facebook phonebook page for whom I don't have a number in my phone, and they don't have their number listed anywhere on their profiles? (I've checked and rechecked)

Sam_Odio 16y ago
It's possible that you previously synced that number. Can you email me directly with your Facebook profile ID or alias? I'd like to investigate: samodio@company.com EDIT (1 hour later): I haven't received your email and we haven't been able to reproduce your bug. Can you email me (even if it's just user error) with a more detailed description? I want to make sure we follow up on this.
- spinchange 16y ago
  I can provide you with my facebook name, but I don't think you'll be able to reproduce -or- see anything with that alone. (It's not really a 'bug') I am simply seeing phone numbers of facebook friends (on my "facebook phonebook" page) who 1) do not have any phone numbers listed in their FB profiles, and 2) that I do not have phone numbers for in my own contact list on my iPhone.
  - Sam_Odio 16y ago
    What you're describing is a bug that hasn't previously been reported to us. Why are you hesitant to follow up via email so that we can investigate?
    - spinchange 16y ago
      I am not hesitant to follow-up via email. I sent one to the address you supplied above and it hard-bounced. Beside, what will my facebook user name provide you? You won't be able to see my account or phonebook page. Who is the "us" you are referring to? The domain you provided is company.com? Are you a facebook employee? EDIT: I see from your HN profile you are affiliated with FB. Perhaps I am misunderstanding where to send you my info? samodio@company.com is returning an invalid address error. EDIT 2: Sorry, Sam. I think I got my mail to you the second time around. Apologies.

extension 16y ago

My suggestion, change: "Add Facebook profile pictures and links to Contacts" to something like "Share contact info and profile pictures between Facebook and the iPhone address book"

mattmanser 16y ago

You're missing the point, people will assume a sync will be one way. As in contact details onto phone. Not phone numbers onto facebook. This article is a knee-jerk, it doesn't matter what's really happening, why the hell did Facebook take people's phone numbers? What does facebook need them for, apart from nefarious evil? We all know non-techies don't read alerts, they just expect things to work as they'd expect.