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Facebook had to dedicate some resources to even go looking for extensions like this. They only have 5000-10000 installs. IMO it demonstrates a change in the com

Facebook had to dedicate some resources to even go looking for extensions like this. They only have 5000-10000 installs. IMO it demonstrates a change in the company’s attitude toward protecting user data from the old days of letting people download the entire social graph of the US. And there is a real trade-off here. 10 years ago everyone would be hating them for cracking down on the open web if they did this, and calling it anti-competitive to silo user data.

wolco2 6y ago
Isn't that what they are doing. I'm not a big fan of facebook policing others while they horde data themselves.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
  They view themselves as an agent of their users. The users willingly give them data, with the intention of sharing it with a select audience. As the user's agent, one should generally abide by their wishes, and especially prevent the data from being shared further abroad than the user intended.
  - bredren 6y ago
    I’d argue most Facebook users do not know the difference between what FB does with their personal info and what this other organization does. For those that installed the extension, one is Facebook, one gives free gift cards. Both are “okay.” So I don’t see this as protecting users so much as ensuring no one else monetizes their data.
    - asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
      It's not about the user who installs the extension. It's about the user's friends.
      - ysavir 6y ago
        Unless Facebook stopped creating shadow profiles of non-users (have they? I'm not a user and don't keep up with it) I don't think they have a leg to stand on.
Jon_Lowtek 6y ago
> Facebook had to dedicate some resources to even go looking for extensions like this. Its called "data abuse bounty program" You find an app like this, rat them out to facebooks legal team, you get a small bounty and FB sues them for fame and profit.
- shajznnckfke 6y ago
  Interesting if you can get a bug bounty for reporting this. I think if an enterprising bounty hunter heard about that, a bunch of anonymously authored extensions might start mysteriously appearing. It might pay better than building web apps for people on upwork.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
    I'm not sure what level of KYC the Chrome web store does, but said enterprising bounty hunter might find that it's not that hard to detect a pattern of "Guy reports a lot of suspiciously similar unpopular extensions. Let's get a warrant to find out who he is from his bank and see if Google knows anything about it."

wolco2 6y ago

Isn't that what they are doing. I'm not a big fan of facebook policing others while they horde data themselves.

asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
They view themselves as an agent of their users. The users willingly give them data, with the intention of sharing it with a select audience. As the user's agent, one should generally abide by their wishes, and especially prevent the data from being shared further abroad than the user intended.
- bredren 6y ago
  I’d argue most Facebook users do not know the difference between what FB does with their personal info and what this other organization does. For those that installed the extension, one is Facebook, one gives free gift cards. Both are “okay.” So I don’t see this as protecting users so much as ensuring no one else monetizes their data.
  - asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
    It's not about the user who installs the extension. It's about the user's friends.
    - ysavir 6y ago
      Unless Facebook stopped creating shadow profiles of non-users (have they? I'm not a user and don't keep up with it) I don't think they have a leg to stand on.

Jon_Lowtek 6y ago

> Facebook had to dedicate some resources to even go looking for extensions like this. Its called "data abuse bounty program" You find an app like this, rat them out to facebooks legal team, you get a small bounty and FB sues them for fame and profit.

shajznnckfke 6y ago
Interesting if you can get a bug bounty for reporting this. I think if an enterprising bounty hunter heard about that, a bunch of anonymously authored extensions might start mysteriously appearing. It might pay better than building web apps for people on upwork.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
  I'm not sure what level of KYC the Chrome web store does, but said enterprising bounty hunter might find that it's not that hard to detect a pattern of "Guy reports a lot of suspiciously similar unpopular extensions. Let's get a warrant to find out who he is from his bank and see if Google knows anything about it."