Facebook knows which websites you are surfing

I was always wondering if Facebook can combine the date of the Like-Button on various websites with the user profile. Now a WSJ article deals with this topic:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704…

That means every visit to a website with a like button can be tracked by facebook (because this widget is directly loaded from the facebook servers - I checked it wih Adblock).

The WSJ writes that for this to work, a person only needs to have logged into Facebook in the past month, but I'm not even sure about that because Facebook stores your data also in cookies.

I really don't like that whole thing.

10 Comments
 

The disturbing part is that Facebook says it owns the data and you can't export your friends, pictures, info, etc. to other services.

Maybe one day there'll be an antitrust case on that and they will be forced to allow you to export. Then maybe some company that actually respects privacy will pop up and users can flock over there.

I really disklike Mark Zuckerberg...he seems like a total tool.

 

And btw, the reason I dislike Mark Zuckerberg is because he seems like a totally boring, anti-social person with whom I would never want to hang out. On top of that, he has no respect for privacy (i.e. everything is opt-out by default, overly complicated, etc.) in a business where privacy should be the number one concern. It has nothing to do with him actually making money.

 

I think I'm just going to get rid of my account. I really don't like having a digital record of my photos and comments being compiled on to some database. If facebook was around 20 years ago there would be so much dirt on anyone currently in a position of power. Plus, I barely use my FB anymore. It's boring. I don't care that it's "Friday!!!!!!!!!!!" or who people voted for on American Idol. Maybe my "facebook" friends are just retarded. Finally, the amount of ads/spam that's passed around is getting out of control.

 
CapToedI think I'm just going to get rid of my account. I really don't like having a digital record of my photos and comments being compiled on to some database. If facebook was around 20 years ago there would be so much dirt on anyone currently in a position of power. Plus, I barely use my FB anymore. It's boring. I don't care that it's "Friday!!!!!!!!!!!" or who people voted for on American Idol. Maybe my "facebook" friends are just retarded. Finally, the amount of ads/spam that's passed around is getting out of control.

I don't know what you will accomplish by getting rid of your account. Your digital record will remain with facebook and your pictures in other peoples albums along with their comments will still be there. You might be able to delete your personal data but it's really not going to help beyond that.

 
CapToedI really don't like having a digital record of my photos and comments being compiled on to some database. If facebook was around 20 years ago there would be so much dirt on anyone currently in a position of power.

Agree completely...

 

Isnt the ability to track all the data based on the fact that you are logged in at the time of visiting the website?

I deactivated my account about 6 months ago. I was beginning to get fed up of this 'social persona' that everyone portrays online. I know that person, they're nothing like that. Its ridiculous.

Plus, I only ever used it when I was a student. Perhaps it should have remained exclusively to that group.

 

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"One should recognize reality even when one doesn't like it, indeed, especially when one doesn't like it." - Charlie Munger
 

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"One should recognize reality even when one doesn't like it, indeed, especially when one doesn't like it." - Charlie Munger
 

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