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You are likely in this database if you added your phone number to your Facebook account. There was a point where if you just typed a phone number into facebook

You are likely in this database if you added your phone number to your Facebook account. There was a point where if you just typed a phone number into facebook it'd return the person who associated their account with that number.

docker_up 7y ago
Even worse. You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook. The probability of your phone number not being uploaded to Facebook is basically 0.
- gatherhunterer 7y ago
  The article says that each entry has an ID associated with a Facebook account. What leads you to think that there are entries in this dataset for non-users?
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    It's well known that Facebook collects information on non users as well, frequently called "shadow profiles.", Zuck admitted as much to Congress although he claimed not to know what shadow profile meant. [0] Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear, but it also isn't something the parent comment claimed. [0] https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-on-non-facebook-users-if-they-want-to-delete-it-they-have-to-sign-up.html https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-...
    - gatherhunterer 7y ago
      That is exactly what the parent comment claimed. > You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook. Shadow profiles are old news. The suspect claim is that the parent comment is more informed on this database than the source that published it. > Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear Yes it is. According to the source this particular public data dump consists only of entries with IDs linked a Facebook account. > Each record contained a user’s unique Facebook ID and the phone number listed on the account. A user’s Facebook ID is typically a long, unique and public number associated with their account
      - ineedasername 7y ago
        I don't see why shadow profiles couldn't use the same ID system. why not? For the parent comment saying they were in the data set: My initial interpretation was they meant if one Facebook user had done so, and you were also a Facebook user, whether or not you had provided your #, it was now associate with you. Your interpretation might be correct though.
birdyrooster 7y ago
What would happen if millions of people changed their phone numbers and did not re-register them with new accounts? Does anyone believe a social effort could dissuade the use of phone numbers for tracking people? How much entropy would need to be added to the system before using phone numbers as identifiers became useless?
pedrocx486 7y ago
Well, I never had an FB account. But I have friends who I know have contact search enabled on their phones, so they probably have my phone and maybe first name.

docker_up 7y ago

Even worse. You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook. The probability of your phone number not being uploaded to Facebook is basically 0.

gatherhunterer 7y ago
The article says that each entry has an ID associated with a Facebook account. What leads you to think that there are entries in this dataset for non-users?
- ineedasername 7y ago
  It's well known that Facebook collects information on non users as well, frequently called "shadow profiles.", Zuck admitted as much to Congress although he claimed not to know what shadow profile meant. [0] Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear, but it also isn't something the parent comment claimed. [0] https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-on-non-facebook-users-if-they-want-to-delete-it-they-have-to-sign-up.html https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/facebook-collects-data-...
  - gatherhunterer 7y ago
    That is exactly what the parent comment claimed. > You are likely in this database if even a single one of your contacts uploaded their contacts to Facebook. Shadow profiles are old news. The suspect claim is that the parent comment is more informed on this database than the source that published it. > Whether or not that information was part of this database isn't clear Yes it is. According to the source this particular public data dump consists only of entries with IDs linked a Facebook account. > Each record contained a user’s unique Facebook ID and the phone number listed on the account. A user’s Facebook ID is typically a long, unique and public number associated with their account
    - ineedasername 7y ago
      I don't see why shadow profiles couldn't use the same ID system. why not? For the parent comment saying they were in the data set: My initial interpretation was they meant if one Facebook user had done so, and you were also a Facebook user, whether or not you had provided your #, it was now associate with you. Your interpretation might be correct though.

birdyrooster 7y ago

What would happen if millions of people changed their phone numbers and did not re-register them with new accounts? Does anyone believe a social effort could dissuade the use of phone numbers for tracking people? How much entropy would need to be added to the system before using phone numbers as identifiers became useless?

pedrocx486 7y ago

Well, I never had an FB account. But I have friends who I know have contact search enabled on their phones, so they probably have my phone and maybe first name.