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Comment by time0ut | Hacker News Reader

My only Facebook account has entirely fake data. I use it to coordinate events with a dozen real-life friends. Facebook still manages to suggest new friends that have no obvious relationship to anyone I am friends with. I've never put their apps on my phone and used an email address I created just for Facebook.

It is creepy, but I can't help but step back and marvel at the technical achievement.

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> entirely fake data.

> I use it to coordinate events with a dozen real-life friends.

These two statements are mutually exclusive.

True. I meant profile data that I was able to enter.

I wonder what percent of that profile is 'fake' and what is 'real'. Sounds like your intent is for it to be 90%+ fake but, in actuality, it's probably a lot more 'real' than you expect.

My guess.. the friends you are coordinating with have your number in their contacts list, which they then allow FB to see. FB associates that number with that group of people, and also separately associates your 'fake' account with that same group of people, since you're using it to coordinate with them. Now, if anybody else has your number in their contacts, FB might decide to show them to the 'fake' account, since they know somebody associated with the group you associate with. Three degrees of separation from your friend -> your number -> your friend group -> your 'fake' account

If all the profile data is fake, presumably the phone number is too? If not, that kind of negates the whole post.

I was referring to his real number, which isn't in his FB account, but is likely stored in his friends' contact lists on their phones, which they in turn give over to facebook. This lets FB create a shadow profile for him. Even if they don't associate that number and shadow profile directly with his fake profile, they will see that they have the same social circle, since the same group of friends will both have his real phone number in their contacts, and also be communicating with his fake profile through FB. At best, there's only two steps between his real phone number and his fake profile.

For me it's only a little creepy, but not surprising. I constantly think of Snowden and just how much our completely (ostensibly) private data actually says about who we are and what we do.

And then we're creeped out that an app that we allow to monitor our lives can know so much about us.

And I love FB, because I know that being online means sharing information. If I wasn't okay with sharing it, why in the world would I put it online with some other party controlling it?

> And I love FB, because I know that being online means sharing information. If I wasn't okay with sharing it, why in the world would I put it online with some other party controlling it?

Do you love that they track your movements across the web using phone home beacons on large swaths of the web and third-party apps?

Nope, I don't mind that. They're definitely not the only ones, and as long as that info is used for improving experiences, I'm okay with it.

Yeah, our experience of the American presidency has certainly been improved :P

That was only half-serious.

But it's not only use for improvement, but also to manipulate us in ways that may not be in our best interest.

Of course, it's your information. If you are OK with sharing it, it's your right. I say the same about smoking: you hate your lungs? Smoke away! But when tobacco companies lie about the effects of tobacco, and make it seem normal and cool, that's when I get angry.

We shouldn't be ok with our lungs going to shit and with our lives being constantly spied. But we have a right to accept this things, if anyone doesn't agree with me they can do it and I respect them.

I don't respect those who misinform, lie or deceit us to make us OK with it though.

Don't get me started on our presidency. My party sold it's soul to win (of which I've now learned, it didn't have much to sell). But when you say it's my information to share, is this somehow hidden from people? Is there some sort of system that hides that fact from people? I feel like an alien because I truly don't get the people who are griping against their information being sold/distributed. I don't mean people like my grandmother, who're just happy to purchase stuff online, but people sophisticated enough to make cogent arguments about privacy and data rights, but act as if they are taken aback by ad targeting. It's either disingenuous or mentally incapacitated, but I'm struggling to find a third option here.

> a dozen real-life friends ... used an email address I created just for Facebook

Faking data doesn't work when they have a significant shadow profile with 'votes' from many of your friends. I imagine some of your dozen real life friends have your real email in their contact lists. You giving a fake one might just set a flag that your 'vote' is not to be relied on!

Correlating with a dozen people posting events, activities etc probably reveals rather a lot about time0ut.

As well, they (and Google) are tracking your movement across the web, through affilliates and embedded webbugs. Don't think for a moment they've not connected the dots. All it takes is one gstatic image load while you're bringing up hotmail or one clicked embedded link and they've got an identity.

"Social Media" is a nasty spy network in candy-coloured wrapping.

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