[quote]This post was originally published on Mashable
Facebook's privacy lie
Facebook tracks you even after logging out
For the first time, Facebook has revealed details about how it tracks users across the web.
Through interviews with Facebook engineering director Arturo Bejar, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes, Facebook corporate spokesman Barry Schnitt and Facebook engineering manager Gregg Stefancik, USA Today‘s Byron Acohido was able to compile the most complete picture to date of how the social network keeps tabs on its 800 million users. Here is what Acohido learnt:
Facebook does not track everybody the same way. It uses different methods for members who have signed in and are using their accounts, members who are logged-off and non-members.
The first time you arrive at any Facebook.com page, the company inserts cookies in your browser. If you sign up for an account, it inserts two types of cookies. If you don't set up an account, it inserts only one of the two types.
These cookies record every time you visit another website that uses a Facebook Like button or other Facebook plugin - which work together with the cookies to note the time, date and website being visited. Unique characteristics that identify your computer are also recorded.
Facebook keeps logs that record your past 90 days of activity. It deletes entries older than 90 days.
If you are logged into a Facebook account, your name, email address, friends and all of the other data in your Facebook profile is also recorded.
Data about web searches and browsing habits could be used to figure out political affiliations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations or health issues about consumers.
According to USA Today, this type of correlation does not seem to be happening on a wide scale, but the concern of some privacy advocates is that selling data could become a tempting business proposition - both to social networks such as Facebook and online advertising players such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo that similarly employ cookie tracking techniques.
Facebook told USA Today that it uses data collected via cookies to help improve security and its plugins and that it had no plans to change how it uses this data. It has, however, applied for a patent on a technology that includes a method that correlates ads and tracking data.
"We patent lots of things, and future products should not be inferred from our patent application," Facebook corporate spokesman Barry Schnitt told USA Today.
Regardless of how Facebook is handling the data it collects through cookies, by doing so it has entered a very sticky debate about whether consumers should be able to opt out of being tracked by such methods. A proposed US law that would create this option was introduced in February.
While a recent poll found that about 70 per cent of Facebook users and 52 per cent of Google users were either somewhat or very concerned about their privacy, some argue that online commerce would suffer without online tracking.
Mashable is the largest independent news source covering digital culture, social media and technology.
[img]http://images.smh.com.au/2011/04/28/2331727/art_facebook-420x0.jpg[/img]
[/quote]
[url]http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-reveals-its-usertracking-secrets-20111118-1nlv0.html[/url]
isn't it illegal tracking non-members, since they don't agree to anything? I'm strongly thinking of deleting Facebook now.
Facebook cookies removed, repeated accepting of them disabled.
Bye Fb.
I don't like that.
Yet, I've been aware of it this whole time and haven't changed my behaviour regarding browsing or managing my cookies.
[img]http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llrnfkHSic1qa16ogo1_500.jpg[/img]
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Image macro" - postal))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=rundevil;33325253]isn't it illegal tracking non-members, since they don't agree to anything? I'm strongly thinking of deleting Facebook now.[/QUOTE]
Remember deleting you facebook account isn't actually deleting it. It's just deactivating it, everything with still be there. Photos, videos, images etc.
I knew they had information of it's users, I didn't know it tracks your shit though...
[QUOTE=rundevil;33325253]isn't it illegal tracking non-members, since they don't agree to anything? I'm strongly thinking of deleting Facebook now.[/QUOTE]
It is in some countries, like germany.
Welp, not going to use that ever again.
[QUOTE=-n3o-;33325296]Remember deleting you facebook account isn't actually deleting it. It's just deactivating it, everything with still be there. Photos, videos, images etc.[/QUOTE]
There must be a way to hard delete it, but you'd probably have to go through their support line to do it or go through some sort of complicated protocol.
[QUOTE=-n3o-;33325296]Remember deleting you facebook account isn't actually deleting it. It's just deactivating it, everything with still be there. Photos, videos, images etc.[/QUOTE]
And everything you uploaded is legally their property as well.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33325254]Facebook cookies removed, repeated accepting of them disabled.
Bye Fb.[/QUOTE]
How do you do this?
I want to know.
[quote]Your account has been deactivated
To reactivate your account, log in using your old login email and password. You will be able to use the site like you used to.
We hope you come back soon.[/quote]
[img]http://www.onthebounty.com/gallery3/var/resizes/OTBUsers/Octavarium/random/emot-byewhore.gif?m=1286460202[/img]
But seriously, this is ridiculous. Their privacy bullshit seems to get worse and worse with every article.
[QUOTE=-n3o-;33325296]Remember deleting you facebook account isn't actually deleting it. It's just deactivating it, everything with still be there. Photos, videos, images etc.[/QUOTE]
You can actually fully delete your account, but facebook likely keeps your data anyhow.
[QUOTE=Contag;33325363]It is in some countries, like germany.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I'm posting this through my server in Germany.
Since Facebook will think I'm from Germany, it gives me an older version of the "Updates" page. I don't know if German law prohibits whatever new fanciness the new Updates page has, but it's interesting.
This is old news. It's what cookies do. They keep track of what sites you visit in order to cater ads to you. Nothing new at all.
[img]http://www.1337upload.net/files/facebookblockCookies.png[/img]
Best part. We have no option, at all.
[QUOTE=T2L_Goose;33325469]This is old news. It's what cookies do. They keep track of what sites you visit in order to cater ads to you. Nothing new at all.[/QUOTE]
No, cookies were originally just a way to store a file onto your computer so a website could access it later, almost as save data and the likes.
They still have no right to do this. Hell if I was in the same country as where Facebook is located, I'd sue the Hell out of them.
[QUOTE=Janooba;33325470]
No, cookies were originally just a way to store a file onto your computer so a website could access it later, almost as save data and the likes.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't matter what they were originally for, they've been used for this same exact purpose on other sites and even games. It's not new.
As much as this pisses me off, I'm not a celebrity and I'm not important and frankly if Facebook wants to see me browse facepunch and look up guides to games, it's more than welcome to.
I've known about this but oh shit.
I guess facebook now knows my fetiches...
I can't access my account anyway because I moved house and I can't find any viable support to help so, oh well I won't be going there again. Just block facebook from saving cookies. Mmm, cookies. None for you, facebook.
I also removed any information I had on there years ago. I don't need to document my personal information on the internet for some stranger to gock at. You learn information from friends by being their friend and talking with them, what facebook does is just artificial and fake.
Honestly, what is Facebook even going to do with the information? If you were daft enough to put all your personal details onto it, you deserve whatever loss you earn.
At most, you'll receive more spam emails.
[QUOTE=lintz;33326251]Honestly, what is Facebook even going to do with the information? If you were daft enough to put all your personal details onto it, you deserve whatever loss you earn.
At most, you'll receive more spam emails.[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah I'm totally retarded for putting my legitimate information on a social networking site that I use to interact with friends.
[QUOTE=lintz;33326251]Honestly, what is Facebook even going to do with the information? If you were daft enough to put all your personal details onto it, you deserve whatever loss you earn.
At most, you'll receive more spam emails.[/QUOTE]
The article speaks of "secret" tracking of a person, not the info you enter on your FB profile.
As to what is it going to do, well the US government might pull another thing like they did with Google, forcing them to reveal any info they hold the government might deem "necessary"
[QUOTE=Alex_DeLarge;33326261]Oh yeah I'm totally retarded for putting my legitimate information on a social networking site that I use to interact with friends.[/QUOTE]
Let me guess, you added real friends and spoke about real things to them too?!
haha you're a joker mate
This is creeping me out.
The cookie monster won't be pleased at you guys not giving it the desired amount...
I have facebook.com cookies blocked in chrome.
I remember when Germany banned Facebook 'likes' on German websites everyone was all laughing at how stupid it was, and even calling it fascist.
[QUOTE=Starpluck;33326384]I remember when Germany banned Facebook 'likes' on German websites everyone was all laughing at how stupid it was, and even calling it fascist.[/QUOTE]
We're all bipolar.
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