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If the app makers were merely showing an ad , even an intrusive one without selling out my information -- I will be able to tolerate that. However when app dev

If the app makers were merely showing an ad , even an intrusive one without selling out my information -- I will be able to tolerate that. However when app developers include libraries from foursquare or facebook, what they are doing is violating the users' privacy and selling their information to third party aggregators who will apply data analytics to build a full predictive model of your behavior and then they will sell it to anybody who wants to spy on you. Do you remember Cambridge Analytica ?

actuator 6y ago
FB has done plenty wrong but you can make the point without upping the hyperbole as well. There is a danger of FB manipulating things on its own but they didn't sell the data to any third party including Cambridge Analytica, it was harvested because of poor API policy(your friend auth giving access to some of your details) which was fixed in the future. The behavioral profiles were built by Cambridge Analytica on its own by the data it stole. Why would FB in any instance even sell your data? I would argue it is in FB's interest to keep the data for itself, not letting anyone have it and be the gatekeeper. The right thing to argue is, whether you want FB/Tiktok itself to have the treasure trove of data or not, and whether you want to allow them to use that to do precise targeting.
- nicoburns 6y ago
  > it was harvested because of poor API policy which was fixed in the future Is there any evidence that it was actually fixed?
  - actuator 6y ago
    They had a bunch of blog posts about restricting APIs like this[1]. I think someone can look at the current APIs and see what related friends information they allow. The last time I used FB APIs was in 2012 and the last time I used FB was in 2014, so not up to date with them. [1] https://about.fb.com/news/2018/04/restricting-data-access/ https://about.fb.com/news/2018/04/restricting-data-access/
  - _jal 6y ago
    I believe they made modifications after that, yes. But if you believe they don't still provide access via substantially similar APIs to "trusted partners", I have a bridge that may interest you...
- netik 6y ago
  I suppose in a way they are monetizing/selling the use of your data because they're collecting it and selling the aggregation of that data back to advertisers. Sure, it's not a selling of the raw data record but with advertising and targeting an advertiser can get pretty close.
  - actuator 6y ago
    Yeah, that targeting bit is fine to argue and I tried to infer that with my comment as well. I just have an issue with hyperboles like "sold individual user's behavioral profile to Cambridge Analytica" being thrown around in articles related to tech when in HN of all places, you can argue without resorting to that.
    - jooize 6y ago
      Yes, I imagine saying things that aren't quite true may at scale cause people to disbelieve the real arguments.

actuator 6y ago

FB has done plenty wrong but you can make the point without upping the hyperbole as well. There is a danger of FB manipulating things on its own but they didn't sell the data to any third party including Cambridge Analytica, it was harvested because of poor API policy(your friend auth giving access to some of your details) which was fixed in the future. The behavioral profiles were built by Cambridge Analytica on its own by the data it stole. Why would FB in any instance even sell your data? I would argue it is in FB's interest to keep the data for itself, not letting anyone have it and be the gatekeeper. The right thing to argue is, whether you want FB/Tiktok itself to have the treasure trove of data or not, and whether you want to allow them to use that to do precise targeting.

nicoburns 6y ago
> it was harvested because of poor API policy which was fixed in the future Is there any evidence that it was actually fixed?
- actuator 6y ago
  They had a bunch of blog posts about restricting APIs like this[1]. I think someone can look at the current APIs and see what related friends information they allow. The last time I used FB APIs was in 2012 and the last time I used FB was in 2014, so not up to date with them. [1] https://about.fb.com/news/2018/04/restricting-data-access/ https://about.fb.com/news/2018/04/restricting-data-access/
- _jal 6y ago
  I believe they made modifications after that, yes. But if you believe they don't still provide access via substantially similar APIs to "trusted partners", I have a bridge that may interest you...
netik 6y ago
I suppose in a way they are monetizing/selling the use of your data because they're collecting it and selling the aggregation of that data back to advertisers. Sure, it's not a selling of the raw data record but with advertising and targeting an advertiser can get pretty close.
- actuator 6y ago
  Yeah, that targeting bit is fine to argue and I tried to infer that with my comment as well. I just have an issue with hyperboles like "sold individual user's behavioral profile to Cambridge Analytica" being thrown around in articles related to tech when in HN of all places, you can argue without resorting to that.
  - jooize 6y ago
    Yes, I imagine saying things that aren't quite true may at scale cause people to disbelieve the real arguments.