Facebook is using phone location to suggest new friends | Hacker News Reader

Facebook is using phone location to suggest new friends

fusion.net

9 pointsuptown6 comments

If this is in fact true, does this mean FB is poised to disrupt the ~$2B/year online dating industry?

Totally serious btw. Right now FB plays a pivotal role in how people declare their relationship status. They already have tons of photos, they already have the users, they already have an ad model that is way more profitable than OKCupid or PoF. They also likely have the data and ability to determine when someone might be about to break up and how compatible people might be. And any added fields for self-reported compatibility data would be gravy for their targeting.

It also seems they have an advantage over most online dating sites in that they don't have the problem of it being more profitable for users to not find their true love. If a couple stays together, they get married, have kids, etc. which likely leads to further engagement with FB.

About 3 months after I started seriously dating someone, Facebook started prompting me to update my relationship status in my profile, despite the fact that we had not interacted on Facebook nor shared photos of one another there. Yet another reminder that Facebook knows way too much about my life.

looked at a video posted by an ex-girlfrield on youtube and one of the recommended songs was ex-girlfrield by no doubt.

I think companies should disclosure, at least, what are the sources/db-fields of their mining algorithms. We can call it "habeas source".

A few weeks ago a friend told me about this and I wondered why nobody had mentioned it before. Facebook was suggesting someone who wasn't contacted to her by any network/e-mail/contact.

I've observed this too. Facebook suggested I connect to two people who had moved in next door to me. We have no connection otherwise.

Notably I've never installed the main Facebook app on my Android phone - only the separate fb messenger app.

They also do this on the desktop, dont ask me how but they do. Just create a new account and add nothing, very soon it will suggest you possible friends and not much later these suggestions get scaringly accurate.

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