Facebook Is Building Shadow Profiles of Non-Users

An anonymous reader writes "As noted previously, Max Schrems of Europe Versus Facebook has filed numerous complaints about Facebook's data collection practices. One complaint that has failed to draw much scrutiny regards Facebook's creation of Shadow Profiles. 'This is done by different functions that encourage users to hand personal data of other users and non-users to Facebook... (e.g. synchronizing mobile phones, importing personal data from e-mail providers, importing personal information from instant messaging services, sending invitations to friends or saving search queries when users search for other people on facebook.com). This means that even if you don't use it, you may already have a profile on Facebook.'"

Comments

Re:Block

[adonoman]

You're not being forced. You're certainly allowed to not consume content on any website that chooses to add facebook/twitter/google tracking... If you dislike it that much, contact the content provider and let them know. Websites add these since people sharing links on fb, etc.. can be a major source of incoming traffic. If they thought that the links might be a net loss in traffic, they'd be gone in a second. It just takes enough people to complain.