Slashdot Mirror
Why Does Facebook Need To Read My Text Messages?
DavidGilbert99 writes "Facebook updates its Android app quite a lot, but the latest version asks for some rather odd permissions. Rolling out in the UK this week, some users have noticed that it now wants permission to read your text messages. While most suspected Facebook wanted to access the data to try and serve you more targeted ads, Facebook says it is only so it can facilitate two-factor authentication...apparently."
Why Does Facebook Need To Read My Text Messages?
Because shut up, that's why. If you ever want to hear from your "friends" again, you'll do exactly what we say without question. I'm certain you know that either you or your friends are too stupid or lazy to start and follow privately-hosted blogs, so sit down, shut up, and continue giving us data to mine. Idiot.
Android needs to add two levels of permissions for much of this stuff. You basically have to ask for everything or nothing. I wanted to check network state in my current app, which requires asking for permission to change the user's networks. I don't want to change their networks. I just want to see if the network is up.
Uninstalled the app, started using FB via browser. For my low intensity usage it's still perfect. Also links to click and youtube embeds work seamlessly now.
Got no messenger installed too.
I have tintoil installed and I don't even own any electronics.
No need to question it further. A completely benign reason with no ulterior motive. Just allow it and be happy. Facebook wouldn't do anything against your wishes...
Ascalante: Your bride is over 3,000 years old.
Kull: She told me she was 19!
.
facebook even collects the posts you start typing but decide not to send.
I resent the notion that product trend manipulation works on everyone. It does not, and it doesn't have to. It only has to work on enough people to make it worthwhile.
I couldn't be happier now that I've completely purged Facebook and its hidden (SNS, not a typo) services from my ROM and phone, and frozen/deleted all of the other assets in other apps that try to "phone home" to Facebook. Side benefit is that after removing Facebook from my phone, I gained seven solid HOURS of battery life back. I didn't realize how often the SNS service and Facebook itself were sending and receiving data, phoning home, etc.
The combination of Android Permission Manager, DroidWall and LBE Security Master have made things much easier to block, delete, drop packets, deny and forbid services from trying to use unnecessary permissions.
I guarantee that no app is doing what it shouldn't, and those that should have permissions (Camera => Take Photos Permission) are prompted every time they attempt to do so, never allowed by default. If I'm not using the Camera for example, and I get a popup that it tried to take a photo, I permanently deny it and remove/uninstall the app. I don't tolerate any of that out-of-band behavior on my phone.
You should investigate the same. Yes, we all know about the L4 kernel, but this at least will help remove the abuse from the application level.
1) Go to "Account Settings"
2) Press "Deactivate you account"
3) Get an effin' life.
That's the sound goatse makes when he farts
Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
We can't?
Facebook didn't get any kind of information from me. Take a wild guess how I accomplished this feat.
Hint: They can't exist without us. We can exist just fine without them.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
user: Facebook, why do you want to read my text messages?
Facebook:Fuck you, thats why.
user: okay.jpg.
All joking aside though, seriously, stop using facebook. You're the product, not the consumer, so none of your opinions or concerns sincerely matter.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Privacy Guard: Control what your applications can learn about you and your contacts. Protect yourself with a simple click, or long press an app to delve deep.
Blackberry actually had this right. Apps requested permission when you installed them, you could either allow, deny, or ask it to prompt you first. It would be really awesome if Android had that feature too.
x86, oh yes, I'm pro.
I don’t know why this is so hard for people to understand. Facebook’s primary source of revenue is ads. Just like Google. They increases the probability that you’ll click on one by examining every last bit of your data that goes through their system. That’s the whole thing in a nutshell.
It amazes me that people are surprised by this.
Don’t put anything on the internet that you don’t want Facebook, Google, the NSA, and every one else looking at. If you store something encrypted on the internet, there’s a chance someone will hack it and get your data anyway. NOTHING IS PRIVATE ON THE INTERNET. Yes, I have a Facebook account, which I use rarely to connect with friends and family. I don’t talk about anything sensitive, and I don’t publish any information that isn’t the sort of thing I would be embarrassed to appear on my LinkedIn profile, which is something I WANT people to see.
The key here isn’t to to complain about Facebook’s policies. That isn’t going to change because 99% of people just accept them anyway. The key is to avoid those services if you object to them. There are many other things in life that make you become publically visible, not limited by any means fo Facebook. Perhaps you want to avoid those too. Good. If ultimately the majority of people decide they don’t like being probed like this, perhaps Facebook will chance. But probably not because they’ll still have a billion users.
Some really stupid picture of you getting drunk from 5 years ago is still on the Internet somewhere, and employers WILL find it. I think this is awesome. In this economic environment, I’m very glad to have more ways that people remove themselves from competition with me when I’m looking for a job. Some people just don’t do really stupid things, while others are forward-looking enough to keep them from getting published. Either way, those are the sorts of people I want to hire in preference to jackasses who think it’s funny to show everyone how stupid they are.
Because I don't want a phone. I want a PDA.
I also want to phone people every once in a blue moon and have always-on access to various IM clients. I don't want to carry two devices.
Now you don't want this and it is great that you can get a device that meets your needs. I can get a device that meets my needs but alas now they all come with shit installed.
Wow, I should not post when knackered.