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Report: Facebook Tracks Visitors Who Have Opted Out, Violating EU Law

Posted by Soulskill on from the hand-in-cookie-jar dept.

itwbennett writes: In a technical analysis (PDF) of Facebook's tracking practices, researchers found that Facebook tracks everyone who visits its site, including people who don't have an account, and even continues to track users and non-users who have opted out of targeted ads. The problem with these practices is that the cookies are placed without consent, which under EU law is only allowed if there is a strict necessity to do so. Facebook disputes the report: "We have explained in detail the inaccuracies in the earlier draft report (after it was published) directly to the Belgian DPA, who we understand commissioned it, and have offered to meet with them to explain why it is incorrect, but they have declined to meet or engage with us."

3 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Standard Operating Procedure by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is pretty much how Facebook operates. They don't just suck in all the information of people who use their service, they collect information on everyone else. Even if you don't use Facebook, they've built a 'shadow' profile on you using information they've gotten from your friends and family. They're certainly not the only one that does so, but they're one of the most pervasive (at least in my opinion).

    It's also why it's important to use something like Ghostery, to block the methods they're using to track people. Bottom line, if you don't see the Facebook "like" button load, you've got them blocked.

  2. they also.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Facebook tracks everyone who visits its site, including people who don't have an account, and even continues to track users and non-users who have opted out of targeted ads.

    they also track everybody that visits a 3rd party site with facebook code (like button, shared login, etc) on it.. and they're tracking everybody playing a game that hooks into facebook api's.. even if that game isn't actually hosted on facebook and the player isn't signed in through it.

  3. This is why I block them at the host file by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    # Facebook
    127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 www.static.ak.fbcdn.net
    127.0.0.1 static.ak.fbcdn.net
    127.0.0.1 www.login.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 login.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.net
    127.0.0.1 fbcdn.net
    127.0.0.1 www.fbcdn.com
    127.0.0.1 fbcdn.com
    127.0.0.1 www.static.ak.connect.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 static.ak.connect.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 aps.facebook.com
    127.0.0.1 www.connect.facebook.net
    127.0.0.1 connect.facebook.net