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Facebook Gave More Than 150 Companies, Including Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify, Amazon and Yahoo, Unprecedented Access To Users' Personal Data: NYT (buzzfeednews.com)
The New York Times obtained hundreds of pages of Facebook documents which were generated in 2017 that show that the social network considered these companies business partners and effectively exempted them from its privacy rules. From a report: Facebook allowed Microsoft's search engine Bing to see the names of nearly all users' friends without their consent, let Spotify, Netflix, and the Royal Bank of Canada read, write, and delete users' private messages, and see participants on a thread, allowed Amazon to get users' names and contact information through their friends, and let Yahoo view streams of friends' posts "as recently as this summer" despite publicly claiming it had stopped sharing such information a year ago, the report said. Collectively, applications made by these technology companies sought the data of hundreds of millions of people a month.
The records also show that Russian search giant Yandex, which was accused last year by Ukraine's security service for giving user data to Kremlin, also had access to Facebook's unique user IDs in 2017. A Yandex spokeswoman told the Times that the company was unaware of the access to user data provided by Facebook. Yandex did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment. In response to the report, Steve Satterfield, Facebook's Director of Privacy and Public Policy defended the actions of the social network.
The records also show that Russian search giant Yandex, which was accused last year by Ukraine's security service for giving user data to Kremlin, also had access to Facebook's unique user IDs in 2017. A Yandex spokeswoman told the Times that the company was unaware of the access to user data provided by Facebook. Yandex did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment. In response to the report, Steve Satterfield, Facebook's Director of Privacy and Public Policy defended the actions of the social network.
Of course they did. If you put anything on Facebook you better be ok with everyone seeing it eventually.
I was wondering why Netflix started to bring up a video category "Shows for People Who Wear Blue Underwear on Fridays".
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I can opt out of doing business with most companies. Not so with the government.
Zuck sucks....
ad $ $,$$$,$$$,000,000
That's why people who know what Facebook does couldn't believe the uproar over the Cambridge Analytics "scandal." Selling user data is what facebook does.
Well, they sometimes sell and they sometimes give it away as they did when they learned Obama's team sucked "the whole social graph." Not only didn't they stop Obama's team, they actively helped them afterward.
Yeah, this'll be modded down, but it's all true.
Is this enough of a final nail in the coffin to get you to quit FB yet? It should be.
Someone had to be sharing that data. How else is every service so perfectly in sync? These stories about Facebook handing out data, collecting data, and correlating data are simply stories about how Facebook operates.
--
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. - James Madison
Everything makes sense when you see them for what they actually are.
That's like, a trademark of quality, man. Nothing beats integrity and professionalizm of the Ukrainian security services.
"more than 150 companies..."
And the Goog isn't listed. Which only means Google knows more about you than the bookface, and so wouldn't gain anything from their data.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
I don't understand why everyone is mad at Cambridge for data analytics yet here is Facebook letting companies glean data information? Also, why wasn't anyone mad when Maxine Waters said that the Obama Campaign "captured everything" and has the largest database ever when it comes to voters.
I don't understand.....
has to go full ads.
Whats paying for the services offered? Ads and the way the users interact.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Jeremiah, 4:20
And Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, the Jew known as Mark Zuckerberg will rent his flock for thirty pieces of silver, for he knows not my father."
Nice trollin', except for the bit about Mr. Z being Jewish. Hate to burst your bubble, but you might want to consider that most of the dudes mentioned in The Book are actually, well, Jewish. The good ones (including Jesus himself), and the bad ones. There are a few hangers-on who don't belong to the club, but the vast majority are Jews. As shocking as that might be to Good Aryan Christians Who Hate Jews (also known as Very Confused People).
Of course, omitting the bit about him being a Jew would make your posting not racist, and considerably less stupid, so you obviously had to do what you did.
She claims to be "woke" so after the Cambridge Analytica stuff she stopped trying to get me to sign up for Facebook, but now she's back at it, constantly telling me about all the shit I'm missing out on.
I believe Facebook was PAID handsomely for that information. It is in fact their business model.
While we shit on Facebook, let's not lose track of the greedy bastards who are "just fine" with purchasing personal information. All of these companies claim to live by strict rules of user data confidentiality, which is why they are more than happy to fuck over their users by buying the information they want to use from an outside source.
Wipe the data and all the backups.
You go to someone else's website and post all sorts of information, but then somehow don't think they are doing whatever they want with it?
That's just stupid.
well, surprise surprise!
when are you guys going to FINALLY make good on your promise to delete this crap from your lives?
you can email anyone who is on FB; you wont lose contact.
just leave that godforsaken place, already!
the longer you stay, the more rope you give them. why empower those bastards? they could not care less about you. and you don't need them, either.
grow a pair. leave FB.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
The concept of a "Jew" is less than 500 years old. Enjoy your broken translations of The Bible, though
Creepy Faceboot is creepy.
That much _everyone_ knows by now. Including those people who for social or business purposes continue to use Faceboot.
It's time for Congress to ban cyberstalking as a business model. One way to do that would be too impose very high (instant bankruptcy high) mandatory fines for data spillage. And require that data hoarders be _fully insured_ against the maximum fine. Let the insurance companies take care of the rest.
Lock up Zuckerberg, burn Facebook to the ground.
>putting this much effort replying to a fucking troll
are you new to the internet bro?
What's left of it anyway.
Firstly, when will the editors (in this case at Buzzfeed) do their GD jobs and proofread this stuff?
"which was accused last year by Ukraine's security service for giving user data to Kremlin. "
(in my worst Russian accent) Am giving user data to Kremlin.
Secondly, this is the reason it's called a privacy policy.
Not a contract, not a guarantee, not a Term of Service -- a policy, which can be changed at any time.
Lastly, virtually every privacy policy I've read covers this.
For Facebook in particular -- Sharing with Third-Party Partners
This is not "exempted them from its privacy rules," this is part of its privacy rules.
Since it's generally too late for those who have already given all their information to Facebook, this is just click-bait.
Assume any information given to any corporation becomes public information as you will not be too far off.
What revelation, what scandal, what breach of trust, what humiliation, what complete lack of concern for your private life by these "social media" corporations will it take for people to stop posting every personal intimate detail on social media? Tune out, turn off, experience life and keep yourselves private.
surprised every social media company makes their money selling every bit of user data they collect on all of their users to anyone with cash. That is what made Zuck a billionaire.
;)
Just my 2 cents
Jews have been around for over 3000 years.
Facebook sucks, but then thereâ(TM)s those 150 plus companies who are also significantly evil. I wonder which (if not both) of Republicans and Democrats are hoovering up everyone on Facebookâs systems.
Showing ads doesn't require giving Microsoft data dumps of all the users' data. In fact, that's counter-productive to selling ads to Microsoft. Facebook could:
A) get Microsoft to pay every month to have Facebook run ads using the profile data that only Facebook has
B) Get one payment from Microsoft and hand over the data, the golden goose, allowing Microsoft to run and target their own ads without Facebook
It seems Facebook chose option B.
Google does option A. Google collects as much information as they can from you, because it's very valuable to them in order to be able to target ads for their customers. The data they have on users is their biggest asset, so they guard it. They don't hand out data dumps to competitors, as Facebook has been doing, and as many marketers used to do before Google took over the industry by keeping the valuable data in-house, secret.
"...and the Royal Bank of Canada read, write, and delete users' private messages..."
That's the problem. These companies have more administration rights over your profile than the owner does.
If you don't want to be dragged into courts by the techno-police you'd better not be writing about bombs and stuff on your Facebook feed. This is basically saying that these companies can write whatever they want into your IMs. The potential for abuse is quite staggering.
In any other jurisdiction this is called wiretapping, and it's expressly illegal.
Don't use Facebook. Get off of Facebook. These companies are pure scum out for profit above even human decency.
I don't know why.
They "trust me"
Dumb fucks.
>Yeah, this'll be modded down, but it's all true.
Score 4: Informative
No problem General Idiot. Always a pleasure to serve sir.
Hebrews dude. The people who make those kick azz hot dogs.
Jews are peoples originating from....wait for it..........Judea!
Both of you are incorrect in various ways. The Kingdom of Israel refers to the descendants of Jacob, in the twelve tribes of Israel. These tribes were divided into the ten northern tribes, which were dispersed into Asia when the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, and the two southern tribes, which were the Kingdom of Judah. The southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were conquered and put into captivity by the Babylonians. During this conquest, Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.
However, the tribes of Benjamin and Judah returned from captivity and rebuilt the temple that was previously destroyed. The second temple is sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple, because of renovations that were supported by Herod the Great. The Kingdom of Judah lasted until 70 AD, when after a rebellion against Roman rule starting in 66 AD, Jerusalem and the second temple were destroyed. That marks the end of the Kingdom of Judah.
The tribes of Benjamin and Judah can be referred to as Jews, since the word Jew is derived from the name of the tribe of Judah. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah date back more than 3,000 years ago before kings David and Solomon. However, they are generally referred to as Israelites, along with the ten northern tribes, prior to the northern tribes being conquered by the Assyrians.
Regarding Jesus being a Jew, that's misleading. Jesus did observe many Jewish traditions such as Passover. However, it was Pilate, a Roman, who proclaimed Jesus as the "King of the Jews. This is recognized the form of the INRI inscription at the top of a crucifix, and was also something the Jews objected to. The Jews considered Jesus to be a false Messiah, and a particularly damaging one at that. In Christianity, Jesus established a new covenant and offered salvation to both Jews and Gentiles, superseding the previous covenant rather than continuing it. A Jew in the present day would be one who believes in the Messianic prophecies, but believes they have yet to be fulfilled. And i haven't a clue what those beliefs have to do with the business practices of Facebook.
Ads always result in data moving around. Some brands just hide that movement from users in fancy ways :) :)
The user is always the product been sold for a "free" service
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
The article is hidden behind a privacy invasion wall where you can't simply say no do not track
Holy shit why is this Buzzfeed garbage on my fucking slashdot? Get the fuck out of here back to reddit/facebook/tumblr
They didn't "give" anyone anything.
They sold it. That has always been their model.
How precisely did you think zuckerberg got to be one of the world's richest men ?
-Styopa
Actually that's not a great analogy, in privacy terms this is even worse than the quasi-sabotage of Chernobyl, but the damage is worse than Chernobyl, Fukushima and Kyshtym combined.
Everyone involved in this should be banned from working with personal information for life, and a concrete sarcophagus should be built over Facebook HQ.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
facebook is evil. i've been saying this since 'the' was part of its name.
google is too. it could exist solely as a web search engine, without all the data collection, but they're too fucking greedy.
Do no evil is almost impossible.
When google feels that giving away your data is the only way to earn a profit. They will do it.
you are the product. Why are people still so surprised by this?
Heck, you get people here at /. who are incensed that you actually have to pay full price for Apple products.
Best Slashdot Co
I don't understand. When you have a company like Facebook, making BILLIONS of dollars from aboveboard, legit, standard advertising, why are they stooping so low to totally thrash user privacy for.... what? Another fraction of a percent additional revenue? This hints at some god-complex thing going on in the upper echelons of Facebook for these kinds of LARGE decisions to be made with other big corporations. My hunch this is for status symbol / power demonstration to show off to other multimillionaire executives the power you wield.
Better known as 318230.
All your private data can potentially be shared without your consent.
... the worse Facebook looks. Is there a bottom to Facebook's decline?
For the uninitiated, this is Facebook's business model. They're information dealers.
To curtail your eventual surprise, Google has a similar model and shares similar data, as does any information collecting service.
"But what can we do!" Stop using their services, or demand your data never be stored.
Keep it skmole. If they collect it, you no longer have control over where it goes.
Well...it did not give mine, that is for sure.
Next April is my anniversary of 4 years without Facebook, Instacrap, Twitter and LinkedIn.
I do not miss a THING about any of those "social" tools.
For the case of companies that have only Facebook presence on the Internet, I have a ghost account with 0 friends and no personal info.
Duck Facebook!
How deeply predictable
Luckily all of these companies keep insisting they "care about your privacy" so no need to be concerned!
" it was Pilate, a Roman, who proclaimed Jesus as the "King of the Jews. "
To add to the depth of this discussion, Pilate probably came to that because Jesus was claimed to be the 'Son of God', calling God 'Father', a blasphemy to the ruling Jewish authorities, Pharisees and Sadducees. The declared Him deserving of death, but being proscribed from executing criminals etc, gave Him to the Romans, claiming He was leading a rebellion against the Roman authority. Close, that description.
Of course, Jesus actually answered Pilate, variously translated as 'Yes, it is as you say'. (Matthew 27:11), and Pilate asked a crowd which of two prisoners should be set free to celebrate a festival, and they chose Barabbas. And so, Pilate washed his hands of the affair. On the cross, even 'chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others", they said, "he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross..' (Matthew 27:41-42)
So actually the Hebrew authorities mocked Him with that appellation. Huh.
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
Yup. Whatever convenience factor existed for communications upkeep and sharing with those in ones circle of family and friends, the cost is certainly fully realized.
It has been all along of course, but I don't think a lot of people thought how unscrupulous FB would delve to for profit's.
I have to sigh a little, when my younger brother, who is heavily vested in all social media platforms, primarily due to being an entertainer, gives me flack for not mirroring the same. Granted he's far more social than I, but ... being in IT, I'm well aware of just what I'm getting myself into every time I jump on a service or add myself to a forum. I know full well, what could and likely come down the pipe when I submit my info. The problem with his line of thought is, I'm not sure is aware of it... or worse, if he cares. Unfortunately, I think it's the latter...
They sold it.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
Stay anonymous. It suits you.
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
Just stop using facebook already. If we all ignore it, it will just go away.
Yet another reason to not have a Facebook account.
(or delete yours if you have one)
Look at you trying to make this about Microsoft. Lol.
So millions of people gave up their freedom and identity to our Corporate Overlords to use a Bulletin Board System?
SAD.
Hey Bud, admit it, your fucked..
the world bought into a pit of shit, deal with it.
Just as bad as msmash.
He said it himself, at no less a venue than the Sermon on the mounts
Matthew 5:17–18
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
SO if he walks like a jew and quacks like a jew, he's a jew right?
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Interesting how these data breaches are more serious and more widespread than just app developers having unintended/unauthorized access since Facebook made the switch from serving their own ads to using AdChoices. Corrolation might be causation after all... look at the major names behind AdChoices!
Yeah, my ex is the same, always on FB, she is also in IT so she knows the implications and acts accordingly, but I don't want ANYONE knowing that much information about me. As soon as FB listed they become entirely profit driven (like any listed company) after that scruples fell to the wayside. One day when I am big and start my own company the day it gets listed is the day I cash out and walk away.
There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.