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Facebook does some really creepy stuff. This morning it showed me my mobile (cell) number and asked me if I wanted to tie it to my facebook account. I've never

by eterm 11y ago

Facebook does some really creepy stuff. This morning it showed me my mobile (cell) number and asked me if I wanted to tie it to my facebook account. I've never knowingly provided my cell number to facebook, as I don't use facebook as an o-auth provider so I consider 2fa as less important that my privacy in this case.

chinathrow 11y ago
Did you install their app or the messenger on iOS or Android? They can read your number there.
- eterm 11y ago
  Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. I'm fairly accepting that every android app asks for "permission to read ..." permissions, but I don't want them to be so proud of this that they present their information back to me. That's what is so creepy about Facebook, they've lost sense of what is normal, so they don't hesitate to show off how much they know. I'm sure Google knows a lot more about me, but they have the sense not to parade that fact back to me unless I specifically ask.
  - kamjam 11y ago
    I don't know why people install the Facebook app on their phone. You can't view stuff offline, meaning you might as well just go to m.facebook.com, the browsing experience is pretty similar AND you don't need to install that stupid messenger app AND they can't access stuff on your phone. They shouldn't, but the pessimist in me says they will. Same with LinkedIn, who installs this crap? And why? Of course, there's plenty of other crap on my phone that I've installed and is exposing me...
    - shanemhansen 11y ago
      After Facebook announced frictionless sharing I removed their app and only log in via mobile browser in a private tab. For me Facebook is a necessary evil. I'm not willing to miss the family trips that only get planned there so I just attempt to minimize damage.
      - kamjam 11y ago
        I get that, and I'm exactly the same. I'm not saying I don't need facebook, it's very useful for keeping up with people from around the world. I just need instant notifications (like you) :p
  - randallsquared 11y ago
    > That's what is so creepy about Facebook, they've lost sense of what is normal, so they don't hesitate to show off how much they know. Maybe what's normal has changed out from under you.
- xxs 11y ago
  This is a false statement (unless it's a very very old version of android). Provide a reference to back it up.
  - EwanToo 11y ago
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.katana https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.k... The permissions include: Device ID & call information read phone status and identity From: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/6014972?hl=en https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/6014972?hl=en Device ID & call information An app can access your device ID(s), phone number, whether you're on the phone, and the number connected by a call. Device ID & call information may include the ability to read phone status and identity.
    - xxs 11y ago
      Regardless what google policy says: the way to get the phone number is via: TelephonyManager.getLine1Number()[1] Which returns "null" unless the operator actually stores the phone number in the SIM so it can be read from there (also it can be modified to be anything). While technically possible, I have not seen it in practice for long time (since 2010 or so). On iPhone it's not possible for an application to obtain the phone number[2]. There was a semi-hack doing so and Apple rejected the applications off the store and closed the loop. (reading SBFormattedPhoneNumber)[3]. In 2013 there was another exploit to obtain it but it has been addressed as well. [1]: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/telephony/TelephonyManager.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/telephony/Tel... [2]: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=GNa4Vc3ODuxxxxrQCg#q=for+security+reasons%2C+iPhone+OS+restricts+an+application https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=GNa4Vc3ODuxxxxrQCg#... --it's google search with the reject terms [3]: https://www.cocoanetics.com/2009/11/forbidden-fruit-apple-apis/ https://www.cocoanetics.com/2009/11/forbidden-fruit-apple-ap...
      - EwanToo 11y ago
        Some network providers don't write the phone number to the SIM, plenty of others do.
- LoSboccacc 11y ago
  or their OTHER messaging app, whatsapp :P and the number can also come from a friend phonebook within one of the aforementioned apps
e12e 11y ago
They could've read it from some of your friends' address books/contacts.
a3n 11y ago
I don't use facebook. I don't use gmail. However, I assume that facebook and google know almost everything about me from people who have uploaded contacts and other information through apps and signup, and from the content of emails in my correspondents' gmail accounts. I'm a product even without having signed up. EDIT: Shouldn't I have some kind of say in that?
- jacquesm 11y ago
  Yes, you definitely should. 'Shadow profiling' ought to be 100% illegal.
  - a3n 11y ago
    Thinking about it a little more, I suppose spies and law enforcement could warrant Facebook et al. "Gimme everything you've trawled about a3n."
surge 11y ago
Someone else had your mobile number and email, and then allowed Facebook to access their contacts (NEVER DO THIS) and they were able to match up the email you signed up with to your number or other piece of information, more than likely, so one of you're friends leaked it.
- jacquesm 11y ago
  It's one thing for the friend to 'leak it', quite another for FB to then use it outside of anything tied to the friend. They have no business propagating that information any further than the profile that supplied it.
- teaneedz 11y ago
  We need a privacy structure to somehow protect our contact info residing in devices not our own, but I suspect that's rather challenging and would require a crypto solution. Maybe, I'm just describing a *nym form of messaging and crypto calling. There must be innovation in some form that's possible for contact lists.

by eterm 11y ago

chinathrow 11y ago

Did you install their app or the messenger on iOS or Android? They can read your number there.

eterm 11y ago
Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. I'm fairly accepting that every android app asks for "permission to read ..." permissions, but I don't want them to be so proud of this that they present their information back to me. That's what is so creepy about Facebook, they've lost sense of what is normal, so they don't hesitate to show off how much they know. I'm sure Google knows a lot more about me, but they have the sense not to parade that fact back to me unless I specifically ask.
- kamjam 11y ago
  I don't know why people install the Facebook app on their phone. You can't view stuff offline, meaning you might as well just go to m.facebook.com, the browsing experience is pretty similar AND you don't need to install that stupid messenger app AND they can't access stuff on your phone. They shouldn't, but the pessimist in me says they will. Same with LinkedIn, who installs this crap? And why? Of course, there's plenty of other crap on my phone that I've installed and is exposing me...
  - shanemhansen 11y ago
    After Facebook announced frictionless sharing I removed their app and only log in via mobile browser in a private tab. For me Facebook is a necessary evil. I'm not willing to miss the family trips that only get planned there so I just attempt to minimize damage.
    - kamjam 11y ago
      I get that, and I'm exactly the same. I'm not saying I don't need facebook, it's very useful for keeping up with people from around the world. I just need instant notifications (like you) :p
- randallsquared 11y ago
  > That's what is so creepy about Facebook, they've lost sense of what is normal, so they don't hesitate to show off how much they know. Maybe what's normal has changed out from under you.
xxs 11y ago
This is a false statement (unless it's a very very old version of android). Provide a reference to back it up.
- EwanToo 11y ago
  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.katana https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.facebook.k... The permissions include: Device ID & call information read phone status and identity From: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/6014972?hl=en https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/6014972?hl=en Device ID & call information An app can access your device ID(s), phone number, whether you're on the phone, and the number connected by a call. Device ID & call information may include the ability to read phone status and identity.
  - xxs 11y ago
    Regardless what google policy says: the way to get the phone number is via: TelephonyManager.getLine1Number()[1] Which returns "null" unless the operator actually stores the phone number in the SIM so it can be read from there (also it can be modified to be anything). While technically possible, I have not seen it in practice for long time (since 2010 or so). On iPhone it's not possible for an application to obtain the phone number[2]. There was a semi-hack doing so and Apple rejected the applications off the store and closed the loop. (reading SBFormattedPhoneNumber)[3]. In 2013 there was another exploit to obtain it but it has been addressed as well. [1]: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/telephony/TelephonyManager.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/telephony/Tel... [2]: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=GNa4Vc3ODuxxxxrQCg#q=for+security+reasons%2C+iPhone+OS+restricts+an+application https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=GNa4Vc3ODuxxxxrQCg#... --it's google search with the reject terms [3]: https://www.cocoanetics.com/2009/11/forbidden-fruit-apple-apis/ https://www.cocoanetics.com/2009/11/forbidden-fruit-apple-ap...
    - EwanToo 11y ago
      Some network providers don't write the phone number to the SIM, plenty of others do.
LoSboccacc 11y ago
or their OTHER messaging app, whatsapp :P and the number can also come from a friend phonebook within one of the aforementioned apps

e12e 11y ago

They could've read it from some of your friends' address books/contacts.

a3n 11y ago

I don't use facebook. I don't use gmail. However, I assume that facebook and google know almost everything about me from people who have uploaded contacts and other information through apps and signup, and from the content of emails in my correspondents' gmail accounts. I'm a product even without having signed up. EDIT: Shouldn't I have some kind of say in that?

jacquesm 11y ago
Yes, you definitely should. 'Shadow profiling' ought to be 100% illegal.
- a3n 11y ago
  Thinking about it a little more, I suppose spies and law enforcement could warrant Facebook et al. "Gimme everything you've trawled about a3n."

surge 11y ago

Someone else had your mobile number and email, and then allowed Facebook to access their contacts (NEVER DO THIS) and they were able to match up the email you signed up with to your number or other piece of information, more than likely, so one of you're friends leaked it.

jacquesm 11y ago
It's one thing for the friend to 'leak it', quite another for FB to then use it outside of anything tied to the friend. They have no business propagating that information any further than the profile that supplied it.
teaneedz 11y ago
We need a privacy structure to somehow protect our contact info residing in devices not our own, but I suspect that's rather challenging and would require a crypto solution. Maybe, I'm just describing a *nym form of messaging and crypto calling. There must be innovation in some form that's possible for contact lists.