Slashdot Mirror
Facebook Working To Weed Out Fake Likes
jfruh writes In the early days of brands on Facebook, it was crucial for companies to garner as many "likes" as possible to boost their image, and that led to some unethical businesses selling likes that came from fake accounts. Now Facebook is informing brands that they're working to root out fake likes, leaving like counts lower but realer. Now if only I could get my relatives to stop clicking on pictures that say they like puppies and are against cancer.
I have had 4 or 5 fake sign ups with my different emails over the years. I can take over some, others I can't. But I get a message for notifying of account creation but it's like an unconfirmed sign up because I get no emails about any initial creation. But the account exists. When I take control I just start adding tons of random people I don't know, liking and random comments using google translator in their language, it's all in other countries so I have no idea what's going on. Then I get tons of friends requests to for these accounts, tens and tens sometimes in bursts. Too lazy to report it to FB and the fake accounts were fun because I did no work to create them. Tens and tens of emails a day from Facebook with these. I don't think I'm special to get these so I guess the problem is pretty rampant.
I guess I have a question is there an exploit they use to create an account using an email they don't control without having to confirm it whatsoever?
Fake likes is Facebook's entire business model. Getting rid of fake likes would be like McDonalds saying they are going to get rid of unhealthy food.
Excellent youtube video describing the problem with Facebook's commercialized likes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag