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Comment by notatoad | Hacker News Reader

Exactly. Facebook really wants to protect your personal information - it's their competitive advantage. If other companies all have your personal info too, then it's less valuable to Facebook. The last thing they want to do is let it get out.

If you've decided to share your info with Facebook, well, that's on you. But Facebook isn't going to share it.

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Are you serious, defending Facebook here?

There can't be a single repository of online data, which by design gives the repository owner too much power and control. Blaming the users for falling for it is like saying we can't have regulation because markets can self-regulate themselves.

After the last 3 years, anyone who defends Facebook comes across as disingenuous, naive or for a lack of a better word, a shill in my book.

Saying Facebook wants to protects your personal information is the most hypocritical statement, I've heard yet.

I don't think you and parent disagree. Facebook will do a good job of 'protecting' your personal data because that allows them —exclusively— to benefit from it. Though the definition of 'protecting' might differ, Facebook's might sacrifice that protection to benefit at any point. As a user, you're not in control of that transaction and will never benefit.

Also lets not forget Facebook as to appear somewhat protective of data, or they'll scare off even more user. Negative consequences of users sharing their data have to appear dystopian fiction.

sarcasm

Uhm, there are many companies that have access via the FB API to users' data and the data of their friends. E.g. CA/SCL. The TOS says you're not allowed to pass it on to third parties but that is exactly what CA/SCL did and FB didn't do much about it when they found out.

So much for protecting your personal info. That is why such a stink is being made about this story.

This fallacy of pre-defending a corporation from ever doing anything wrong or acting against their own (short term) self interests because "their business depends on it" needs to stop immediately.

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