WhatsApp mandatory data sharing with Facebook

  • Thread starter Thread starter LiE
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Not really that bothered by this. The benefits outweigh the negatives.

Nothing exciting going on in my whatsapp chats. If I was very concerned I'd just use Wikr.
 
Smeghead said:
For me personally, of course I would prefer companies not be be shady so-and-sos and collect this data behind my back, but at the end of the day after all is said and done, what is the final outcome of all this data they have collected from me? I'm admittedly showing my ignorance here, but isn't it just an advert about something I may have typed? And I use an adblocker most of the time, so I rarely see them anyway. And on the extreme end, be alerted if there were anything illegal or ties to terrorist activity and that sort of thing, which isn't a bad thing to me?
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If companies know your habits then they can target advertising at you. You might have an ad blocker which helps a lot. But many of the emails you receive from companies you happily signed up to will be tailored to you specifically, based on information sold to them and gathered from you. It's tailored to push just the right buttons to get you to buy something.

Several elections recently, including the 2016 US election and possibly the Brexit referendum, had political parties employing social engineering companies to find those key voters who could be persuaded to vote either way. Someone who stroingly votes one way or the other is of no interest to them. But someone just on the cusp can be persuaded by careful advertising or pushing of news articles their way to decide to vote a particular direction. Have you done one of those "political compass" surveys recently? They seem like they are just for fun. But cross referenced with your browsing information, buying habits, location and contacts they tell a lot about you and also how you can be persuaded to vote a particular way.

etc, etc.

Your information is very valuable and will be influencing you in ways you think you are immune to.
 
Acme said:
Fascinating!

Put up some IP cameras in every room in your house and publish the login details online. Speed up the process for yourself. When society gets to that stage, you'll already be prepared, the government won't have to send people in to set it up. Maybe you'll get a prize! :p
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What a rather extreme example or thought suggestion :D
 
If people remember smart advertising isn't a new thing. They have done it in adverts on the TV and billboards and still do. It's smart marketing but just happens that it's moved digital online targeting that's all.

If companies where fully transparent I wouldn't be as bothered as I am about it.
 
tlrBeta said:
What a rather extreme example or thought suggestion :D
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My point was that if people don't care about faceless corporations and governments knowing their every move online, why not make it easier for them to see what they do around the house as well? Its not a huge step. :)

Privacy is a basic human right. Your thoughts on the matter are gravely concerning, and if too many take the same stance it will be a slow descent to the point where we actually have cameras in the corner of every room.

The most concerning thing is, were that to happen, I am certain that a large amount of people would stick to their "I don't mind, I have nothing to hide" stance. It is a weak minded and short sighted argument.

I'm not saying that you personally would stick to your guns if things got that extreme, but you can bet that plenty would.

tlrBeta said:
If someone is spying on my use of technology, they must lead a very sad life.
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I think this line deserves attention too. Think about everything you do online, on your computer, your phone? They aren't "spying on your use of technology" they are spying on you. It is automatic and computerised, it is the default. There arent individuals sitting there reading your messages as you type them.

Take everything you have ever said in every message, every email, every text, every phone call. Take every order you have ever placed, everything you have ever watched, anything you have ever signed up to, every website you have ever visited. Even every place you have ever been, with your phone in your pocket. It is all logged and most organisations will even freely tell you as much in the terms and conditions that you agree to, and who's to say that those who don't mention it, or even claim not to do it, don't do it anyway?

Run that through a few algorithms and everything you are is magically turned into consolidated, detailed and referencable data. The names of all your friends and family, what you do, where you work, what you buy, what your hobbies and interests are, your knowledge on certain subjects, where you go, what you eat, what you wear, what you drink, what your political opinions are, what your sexual preference is, what kind of porn you watch, what car you drive, what sort of fuel you put in your car, how much you weigh, what physical and mental health conditions you may suffer from, your allergies, your fears, your dreams and aspirations, everything.
 
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Acme said:
My point was that if people don't care about faceless corporations and governments knowing their every move online, why not make it easier for them to see what they do around the house as well? Its not a huge step. :)

Privacy is a basic human right. Your thoughts on the matter are gravely concerning, and if too many take the same stance it will be a slow descent to the point where we actually have cameras in the corner of every room.

The most concerning thing is, were that to happen, I am certain that a large amount of people would stick to their "I don't mind, I have nothing to hide" stance. It is a weak minded and short sighted argument.

I'm not saying that you personally would stick to your guns if things got that extreme, but you can bet that plenty would.
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Remember the Xbox Kinect?!?!?! People did mind :D

I have lost count how many cameras I see on laptops covered up with a giant got on the lens, even on mobile devices.
 
malachi said:
Remember the Xbox Kinect?!?!?! People did mind :D

I have lost count how many cameras I see on laptops covered up with a giant got on the lens, even on mobile devices.
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I do remember! And yes some people minded! Thank goodness.

The more people that don't mind, the easier it becomes for companies to get away with it.

That being said, I don't think any organisation is tapping into your webcam feed, that isn't the sort of spying we need to worry about yet.

If I recall correctly the issue with the Kinect was that it is always "listening" for keywords, so people were worried that their conversations were being recorded. The audio, not the video. Plenty of devices do that now, and they are in peoples homes, or even in their pockets.

I think covering up your webcam is more of a paranoia thing. It doesn't feel nice to have the possibility there.
 
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Hades said:
I'm the same - I don't want it and am very protective of my privacy. But WhatsApp is too useful to me and no other apps have the same large user base. So I will continue using it but look at other systems such as Signal and see whether they become more popular. I'd happily start using them instead.

But like you I am quite surprised how many people don't actually care.
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They will just buy up signal for a billion and repeat the process... People must adapt to the reality that big tech have become sinister and big brother wants your data. For all we know there could be a foreign goverment behind these apps harvesting it. Mossad would have the money and means easily the APP can probably track you partially i bet too. I do not think this to really be tinfoil hat stuff because big tech have proven themselves recently to be exactly like this.
 
It will get hacked, like the rest of facebook.

The Chinese and Russians will be all over it. A lot of companies use it, time to find something else.
 
Bouton Aide said:
Time to change.
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You should never of given Facebook such power to begin with. Out of everyone i know only one person had no facebook. Well i did signup but i never once posted or used it. Then about 5-6yrs ago i just deleted it. It created a monster and harmed our social relationships because they were meant to be face to face where you get endorphines? Yea that chemical i got to look up how to spell we replaced this with anxiety instead.


All SM is a cancer on humanity.
 
Bouton Aide said:
I never I haven't been on Facebook for years.
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Good on ya then! I used to get hassled about it and looked upon like an oddball purely as i was not on Facebook. One of the main things was where is your profile picture?

Well it is not sitting in a file cabinet named "Blackmail" at Mossad HQ thats for sure!
 
Bouton Aide said:
I never I haven't been on Facebook for years.
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I wish I could say the same but unfortunately so many of the people I know use it as their sole means of communicating with the outside world that I can't bin it off. Especially during lockdown! :(
 
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