Facebook Backtracks, Now Says It Is Not Using Your Phone's Location To Suggest Friends

A report on Fusion on Monday, which cited a number of people, claimed that Facebook was using its users' phone location to suggest people to them. The publication also noted the privacy implications of this supposed feature. At the time of publishing, Facebook had noted that location was indeed one of the signals it looks into when suggesting new friends. But the social juggernaut has since backtracked on its statement with new assurances that it is not using anyone's location. In a statement to Slashdot, the company said:We're not using location data, such as device location and location information you add to your profile, to suggest people you may know. We may show you people based on mutual friends, work and education information, networks you are part of, contacts you've imported and other factors.

Comments

Zuck: Dumb fucks

[Anonymous Coward]

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don't know why.
Zuck: They "trust me"
Zuck: Dumb fucks

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/well-these-new-zuckerberg-ims-wont-help-facebooks-privacy-problems-2010-5

So just because they say it

[Anonymous Coward]

It's true? There's obvious evidence they were doing it (even if they've stopped now) and Facebook is about as honest as Hillary Clinton, so you can't believe a word they say.

Amusing

[Bender Unit 22]

We hear people say they don't care about sharing their information or "meta data", sometimes even with the classic remark that they have nothing to hide.
But recently we have started to see stories about people being surprised when social media sites and others have started using their collected data better, it is kind of amusing.

I don't think that any of these companies all of the sudden have gotten better at mining their collected date, but rather that they choose to "turn up the dial" slowly because they need to get people used to it first and perhaps they have been a bit too quick about it recently. :)

Re:Summary is wrong

[jittles]

But the social juggernaut has since backtracked on its statement with new assurances that it is not using anyone's location.

That's not what they said.

They don't state they're not using your location, although they're probably hoping people will read that into it. They merely made the very narrow statement that they're not using your location to suggest people you may know.

Even if that is what they said I am 100% certain that they are lying. And how can I be certain? Because it keeps asking me to send friend requests to two different neighbors that I know by name and by sight but have absolutely no electronic contact with whatsoever. I don't have their phone number, they don't have mine. I don't email them, they don't email me, I don't even have their names in any electronic form. I've never typed their names into the computer - how could I? I only know their first names. But Facebook proudly presents them to me.

Bullshit.

[BronsCon]

My wife and I moved a few towns over 2 months ago; neither of us have updated out address info on Facebook since before out last move. Within a week of the move, she had Facebook suggest that she might know each and every one of our neighbors, while I've still not had a single such suggestion in two months. The difference? She has the Facebook app on her phone and I do not.

Re:Summary is wrong

[BronsCon]

This. We moved 2 months ago and, within a week, Facebook started suggesting neighbors as people my wife may know, while I've still not gotten a single such suggestion. She has the FB app on her phone, I use it only via the website. Coincidence? Nah.

And I'll just head off the "she does 'know' those guys" jokers by pointing out that I work from home and know that to not be the case; also, half the suggestions are women and, well, I'd just find that hot if it were true.