Just because you're paranoid

[smokingboot]

doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

So this guy downloaded his facebook data as a zip file, and found that it contained his entire call history with his partners mother, and a hell of a lot more metadata.

I think this links to the tweet in which he describes very simply how to do it.

https://twitter.com/dylanmckaynz/status/976956497073553408

I've given up FB for Lent. As soon as I'm back on it, I'll check this out.

What freaks me out is the way that Mum has always wanted to be on FB to stay in contact with us, but her wild paranoia meant that even having an account really freaked her out. It's been a matter of real impatience to my brother.

Turns out she's right

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

I downloaded my FB data file.

And it does indeed contain a lot of But how did they... ? kind of stuff.

[smokingboot]

I will be quite interested to see what I find. Still haven't worked out whether to keep it or not.

[mallorys_camera]

Well, you know. One of the things one does have to ask oneself is, Why is this story getting such huge attention now? Given the fact that the information has been out there since 2016.

And why is Facebook the Darth Vader in the big media narrative? Why not the Mercers, or Steve Bannon, or even Donald Trump?

The sentient cockroach historian writing in 2118 will note this collective outrage was timed with three things:

• A ban on cryptocurrency ads

• The simultaneous "resignations" of the three highest security executives at the three most important tech firms, Google, Facebook & Twitter

• The passage here in the States of the CLOUD Act.

My guess is that the outrage is being seeded as part of the move toward taking over social media as a kind of state-regulated utility.

FB is the way I keep in touch with cousins and such as well as people I went to high school with. I never post about my plans for blowing up bridges and shopping malls! :-) So, I'll probably stay.

[smokingboot]

You mention some interesting elements of which I was completely unaware, thank you.

The outcry here seems to be as much at CA as at FB; CA's boast about their ability to influence election outcomes via dirty tricks is very alarming in the context of other anomalies about who paid for what in the referendum. It looks increasingly dodgy in terms of the kind of abuses this appalling sounding Cloud act may justify and protect.

It's not long before, as members of the EU, we gain the right to be forgotten under GDPR rules. But what happens when we leave the EU? Theresa May is no fan of individial rights to privacy.

So yes, FB may well have been negligent and perhaps there is the kind of outrage we only keep for villains we know, as opposed to faceless SPECTRE like corporations. But the big bad guys? Well, as ever, a lot of diverson is occurring.

[mallorys_camera]

Well, if you do decide to stay on FB, please do add me as a "friend." I'm Patrizia DiLucchio.

[smokingboot]

I would love to!