Exactly. Facebook doesn't have shadow profiles, they have user data and algorithms. The algorithms traverse the shadow profiles at runtime and produce some outp

Exactly. Facebook doesn't have shadow profiles, they have user data and algorithms. The algorithms traverse the shadow profiles at runtime and produce some output, but there is no need to hold onto the profile data in that form. All facebook needs is the advertising "action-item" that the algorithm produces. The same analysis applies to the intelligence gathering done by the government. They hold onto all data for all time and draw conclusions from it at a later date.