4 ms·

This is exactly what companies like Facebook do, online. Why do you think it's not OK to do this to the people who run such companies?

SpicyLemonZest 2y ago
No, again, this is false. Facebook does not provide a public feed of my location or allow other people to do so against my will.
csallen 2y ago
Whether you like Facebook or not, what they do at scale (tracking the online metadata of billions of people in order to generate ad revenue) is different in both subtle and obvious ways than following a single individual around in the real world from place to place. These differences are important. For example, following people around in the real world, aka stalking, is frequently accompanied by threats or acts of physical violence, especially for famous people. Even for normal people, being tracked in the real world frequently leads to theft, burglary, or harrassment. On the other hand, being tracked by social media companies does not commonly result in either of these outcomes. Why? Because our actual physical bodies exist in the real world, making it an arena with much higher stakes. Imagine if Facebook tracked everyone's physical location, saved it to a log, and then published that log to a public website, while keeping it updated in real time. Do you think people would find that an upsetting addition to what Facebook does now? Would you find that to be an upsetting addition? If so, you must admit there is therefore a difference between doing that and what they do now. If there was no difference, then there would be nothing additional to be upset about. This is not me defending Facebook's tracking. This is simply me refuting the numerous assertions you've made in this thread that Facebook's tracking is "identical" to real-world stalking combined with publication of that information. It's not.
chasd00 2y ago
Not even close. You voluntarily give your info to Facebook and other websites/apps. Facebook and other meta companies have no idea where I am currently because I don’t use their products.
- piva00 2y ago
  But you do use websites with their trackers, over time they've collected enough data to have a shadow profile of you. It's not accurate to the meter but they probably know the block you live in, some searches you have done in the past weeks, what news you read, what your taste in food, clothes, etc. are. Unless you live in some jurisdiction like the EU and diligently refused to accept cookies on every website.
- dns_snek 2y ago
  Plane owners voluntarily give their info to the public. If they didn't want the public to know where they are, they shouldn't be flying.
- rakoo 2y ago
  That's the typical reply from someone who doesn't have a life on Facebook, and it's nice for you but you can't extrapolate the lives of literally billions of people just from your own, singular example. People have all their friends and family on Facebook and still want to talk to them. People have orgs, businesses, support groups, anything on Facebook. They don't accept the garbage conditions because they decided, but because it's their only way to do it.
  - conorjh 2y ago
    > a life on Facebook a contradiction in terms
- latexr 2y ago
  There are trackers everywhere on the web and websites regularly share the information they get with literally thousands of “partners” to build profiles on you. No matter how much information you avoid giving, it’s naive to believe they have nothing on you. There’s a reason laws like the GDPR exist, and it’s not because you always give info voluntarily.
- maeil 2y ago
  > Not even close. You voluntarily give your info to Facebook and other websites/apps. Facebook and other meta companies have no idea where I am currently because I don’t use their products. Congratulations for being in the privileged position where you get to do so and still participate in society and make a living. For millions, that's not the case (hint: Whatsapp).
tzs 2y ago
I was responding to salawat's comment which has nothing to do with Facebook. They were implying that if information is public it is always OK for it to be promptly and widely distributed.

SpicyLemonZest 2y ago

No, again, this is false. Facebook does not provide a public feed of my location or allow other people to do so against my will.

csallen 2y ago

Whether you like Facebook or not, what they do at scale (tracking the online metadata of billions of people in order to generate ad revenue) is different in both subtle and obvious ways than following a single individual around in the real world from place to place. These differences are important. For example, following people around in the real world, aka stalking, is frequently accompanied by threats or acts of physical violence, especially for famous people. Even for normal people, being tracked in the real world frequently leads to theft, burglary, or harrassment. On the other hand, being tracked by social media companies does not commonly result in either of these outcomes. Why? Because our actual physical bodies exist in the real world, making it an arena with much higher stakes. Imagine if Facebook tracked everyone's physical location, saved it to a log, and then published that log to a public website, while keeping it updated in real time. Do you think people would find that an upsetting addition to what Facebook does now? Would you find that to be an upsetting addition? If so, you must admit there is therefore a difference between doing that and what they do now. If there was no difference, then there would be nothing additional to be upset about. This is not me defending Facebook's tracking. This is simply me refuting the numerous assertions you've made in this thread that Facebook's tracking is "identical" to real-world stalking combined with publication of that information. It's not.

chasd00 2y ago

Not even close. You voluntarily give your info to Facebook and other websites/apps. Facebook and other meta companies have no idea where I am currently because I don’t use their products.

piva00 2y ago
But you do use websites with their trackers, over time they've collected enough data to have a shadow profile of you. It's not accurate to the meter but they probably know the block you live in, some searches you have done in the past weeks, what news you read, what your taste in food, clothes, etc. are. Unless you live in some jurisdiction like the EU and diligently refused to accept cookies on every website.
dns_snek 2y ago
Plane owners voluntarily give their info to the public. If they didn't want the public to know where they are, they shouldn't be flying.
rakoo 2y ago
That's the typical reply from someone who doesn't have a life on Facebook, and it's nice for you but you can't extrapolate the lives of literally billions of people just from your own, singular example. People have all their friends and family on Facebook and still want to talk to them. People have orgs, businesses, support groups, anything on Facebook. They don't accept the garbage conditions because they decided, but because it's their only way to do it.
- conorjh 2y ago
  > a life on Facebook a contradiction in terms
latexr 2y ago
There are trackers everywhere on the web and websites regularly share the information they get with literally thousands of “partners” to build profiles on you. No matter how much information you avoid giving, it’s naive to believe they have nothing on you. There’s a reason laws like the GDPR exist, and it’s not because you always give info voluntarily.
maeil 2y ago
> Not even close. You voluntarily give your info to Facebook and other websites/apps. Facebook and other meta companies have no idea where I am currently because I don’t use their products. Congratulations for being in the privileged position where you get to do so and still participate in society and make a living. For millions, that's not the case (hint: Whatsapp).

tzs 2y ago

I was responding to salawat's comment which has nothing to do with Facebook. They were implying that if information is public it is always OK for it to be promptly and widely distributed.