Facebook users aren’t changing their privacy settings, despite uproar

[Fasterthannothing]

So in an article on Engadget Facebook said that they aren't seeing any drastic changes in its user base or the privacy settings. 

Quote

The Wall Street Journal reports that over the past few weeks, Facebook users, for the most part, haven't changed their privacy settings despite the uproar against Facebook. "We have not seen wild changes in behavior with people saying I'm not going to share any data with Facebook anymore," Carolyn Everson, Facebook VP of global marketing solutions, said to the Wall Street Journal CEO Council this week... And in regards to ad sales, Everson said the company didn't foresee stricter privacy laws coming into play that might lead users to opt out of targeted ads and cause a drop in that revenue stream.

Now I know from talking to my peers that the reason for this is that they thought Facebook was doing this all along. What baffles me is the fact that they don't even want/care to change their privacy settings. Many people are content using Facebook the same way it was before all of the issues with Cambridge Analytica. As someone who is studying IT and is extremely concerned about my online privacy I have only used one social media platform which was mastodon only due to the unprecedented amount of control over you data/privacy and zero ads https://joinmastodon.org/ . It makes me upset every time someone says that they don't mind giving up their privacy for social media. How long will it be until no one cares at all and every large company knows everything about you because people failed to care about their privacy. 

 

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/13/facebook-users-aren-t-changing-privacy-settings/

[Crunchy Dragon]

Can you even opt out of sharing your information with a platform that you use?

 

No matter what you do, they'll always have some of your information. IP, email address/phone number(whatever you used to sign up and for 2FA).

[Fasterthannothing]

Just now, Crunchy Dragon said:

Can you even opt out of sharing your information with a platform that you use?

 

No matter what you do, they'll always have some of your information. IP, email address/phone number(whatever you used to sign up and for 2FA).

No not completely but you can severely limit the amount of data that you share with them and many people don't even care about doing that. 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

43 minutes ago, Shorty88jr said:

So in an article on Engadget Facebook said that they aren't seeing any drastic changes in its user base or the privacy settings. 

Now I know from talking to my peers that the reason for this is that they thought Facebook was doing this all along. What baffles me is the fact that they don't even want/care to change their privacy settings. Many people are content using Facebook the same way it was before all of the issues with Cambridge Analytica. As someone who is studying IT and is extremely concerned about my online privacy I have only used one social media platform which was mastodon only due to the unprecedented amount of control over you data/privacy and zero ads https://joinmastodon.org/ . It makes me upset every time someone says that they don't mind giving up their privacy for social media. How long will it be until no one cares at all and ever large company knows everything about you because people failed to care about their privacy. 

 

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/04/13/facebook-users-aren-t-changing-privacy-settings/

My best guess is that it's a combination of people not knowing what the privacy settings they are given even mean (they are complicated and most of the time don't accurately represent what is actually being collected for what purpose), and being too dependent on the service to just leave in short notice because blocking access to information essentially bars you from the service. And many people actually relay on Facebook to keep in touch and organize projects, events, etc. They can't move to another platform as much as they want to quickly as there isn't really another well known option out there that does as much as Facebook. 

 

A lot of apps are like this. For example, the Sportsnet App allows live streaming for TV subscribers. Unfortunately, if you want to stream the content you've already paid money to subscribe to, you still need to allow the app access to your photos and videos in order to do so. Access that seemingly don't make sense. But since I wanted to watch the playoffs when I was out, I had to do it. 

[Snapperx]

1 minute ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Can you even opt out of sharing your information with a platform that you use?

 

No matter what you do, they'll always have some of your information. IP, email address/phone number(whatever you used to sign up and for 2FA).

I guess not since it is still their platform and their business model.
I haven't changed my settings since it is all on friends only anyways.

For the rest I use Ghostery to minimize my social media footprint.

I guess I make like 1 FB post a year or something like that.

[dizmo]

Surprise surprise? A lot of people that use Facebook probably don't even know how to change their settings, or don't care. I see this as another case of vocal minority. 

 

Honestly though, how private do you expect a site like that to be? People these days are entitled fucking idiots. If there was a physical wall and you tacked thughts to it, I'd bet most people wouldn't say a majority of what they freely post on Facebook. Facebook is destroying social structure. 

[Crunchy Dragon]

Just now, Snapperx said:

I guess not since it is still their platform and their business model.
I haven't changed my settings since it is all on friends only anyways.

For the rest I use Ghostery to minimize my social media footprint.

I guess I make like 1 FB post a year or something like that.

Agreed, my FB profile is pretty locked down.

 

I don't even make 1 post per year, some months I don't even check it..

[KenjiUmino]

5 minutes ago, Shorty88jr said:

So in an article on Engadget Facebook said that they aren't seeing any drastic changes in its user base or the privacy settings.

i did not expect anything to change.

i expect those who care about privacy to have their privacy settings in check anyways and not share much personal information to begin with or avoid the platform alltogether

 

and those who are too ignorant or too stupid to care ... well ... they didn't care about their privacy then so they probably won't start caring now. 

 

i don't even know what the outcry is all about - because:

9 minutes ago, Shorty88jr said:

Facebook was doing this all along.

 

no surprises here. 

[WMGroomAK]

Just going to point this out from my observations is that people enjoy being outraged on a topic, even if they don't understand it or truly care about fixing the issue...  They just want to have the satisfaction that they were outraged at Facebook's policy.  

 

As a side note IMO, there is no such thing as a 'free' service...  If the service is free, then they are probably supporting it by performing some sort of data collection, analysis and sale of information.  This is why a smart user either avoids entering data online or ensures that they are not putting sensitive data out where it can be harvested or viewed by the public at large.

[Sir Asvald]

I once created an account without my actual name. I was using it for at least 5-6 months. Out of the blue, they disabled the account and ask me to prove my actual Identity. Just shows how scummy and stupid they are..

[Sauron]

19 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

IP, email address/phone number(whatever you used to sign up and for 2FA).

Technically they don't need to know that. That data could be encrypted, for the software's eyes only. Of course, if it's not a foss website you can never be sure - but then again, an "opt out" program could hold them liable if they lie.

[Techicolors]

has it occurred to anyone that even if you switch that one toggle switch to turn off data sharing, FB could still be data mining off of you. this is probably tinfoil hat territory so you can call me crazy 

[Blademaster91]

16 minutes ago, Abdul201588 said:

I once created an account without my actual name. I was using it for at least 5-6 months. Out of the blue, they disabled the account and ask me to prove my actual Identity. Just shows how scummy and stupid they are..

That is super shady and I wouldn't put it past them. It sounds crazy but If you went browsing around while logged into Facebook on the same browser, maybe they caught more info if you weren't using something that blocks social media mining.

[mynameisjuan]

I dont get this whole privacy bullshit. 

 

YOU entered your info online to a free service that you are being marketed to. Dont want them to have your info, dont enter it. 

[Dabombinable]

Facebook is tracking across other websites via cookies and appears (from the adverts that my mum's seen) to be even peering into emails. FB privacy settings don't affect that shit so for most people you really can't tweak the privacy settings any more. FB just needs to stop being scumbags.

[mr moose]

No shit,  As I said in the last thread, no matter how big and bad you think analytica is/was, people will move on, Mark will still be worth $60Bn and people will still hand over their private details in order to hear about the latest big pharma conspiracy or watch a kids getting hurt video.

 

People are dumb.

[ScratchCat]

5 hours ago, Abdul201588 said:

I once created an account without my actual name. I was using it for at least 5-6 months. Out of the blue, they disabled the account and ask me to prove my actual Identity. Just shows how scummy and stupid they are..

How do they expect you to "prove" your identity? Using any form of ID would just be asking for phishing scams.

[Guest The Viking]

You can't do much. I use facebook because I need it, to administer a page from work & keep in contract with old friends.

 

What you are allowed to do is really limited too, I can't tell them "Hey, i don't want you to use any of my data"

 

I just got this message when logging in right now

 

 

just some propaganda that "they understand it's important to protect data", so most people will see this anyway. They'reo ffering to go to the section where you can block applications from using your data.

 

And this is really the maximum you can do in terms of privacy, but...

You set all to "friends" and untick the option of Google & others being able to find your profile via a Google search, and that's the max privacy you can get while using the platform.

 

[DildorTheDecent]

You can check whether or not your data was used in the Cambridge Analytical thingy.

 

If it wasn't, then most users won't bother updating their stuff.

 

I don't really care at all. Google already owns me

[DrMacintosh]

I know exactly what data is on my FaceBook account, I put it there. I do not intend of taking any further action than what I’ve done since day 1. 

[Sir Asvald]

8 hours ago, ScratchCat said:

How do they expect you to "prove" your identity? Using any form of ID would just be asking for phishing scams.

Enter your name and telephone number

[mr moose]

15 hours ago, huilun02 said:

To this point most FB users are not perturbed by this 'privacy issue' at all. Majority of the uproar is media sensationalism, partly feuled by political agenda to intervene and profit from the situation.

 

 

The other reason  many facebook users are not perturbed is because people generally think they are not susceptible to such advertising/propaganda and think their data can't be used against them the way it is used against nearly everyone else.   This is known as 3rd person perspective as is the general psychology that underpins many traits that cause people to rally against things they think are dangerous but don't actually feel threatened by themselves.