Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows About Them

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by kminehart on Thursday December 29, 2016 @02:48PM (#13279542)

That might explain a pretty creepy thing Facebook did the other day to me.

I just created a new Facebook account after maybe 4 years of radio silence. Two years ago, I had a job doing IT contracting; often I would go to businesses and repair laptops or run cable to a COM room. We had very very few residential clients since they weren't worth our time; the few that we did have were really just courtesy for doing business for so long. I went to one residents home a SINGLE time, hardly interacted with the man, and he definitely did not know my last name.

Guess who pops up on my "Suggested friends", with no mutual friends or place of work or any similar "liked" pages? Yeah, that one client.

Similarly, we worked in a small office in a cold storage facility, and Facebook also suggested that I add their accountant as my friend.

It's really creepy, but if Facebook was able to know that I worked at that employer then it's possible that it was able to make the connection.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by dublinben on Thursday December 29, 2016 @03:58PM (#13280065)

The most common source of those suggestions is phone contacts. Anyone using the Facebook (or Instagram) app is sending them a copy of their entire address book to be used for network mapping purposes.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by xg15 on Thursday December 29, 2016 @05:05PM (#13280577)

How about Whatsapp? (especially since it apparently keeps all whatsapp contacts in "unknown" state if you deny the permission on android)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by bagacrap on Thursday December 29, 2016 @11:04PM (#13282428)

I don't know if this is still true given the permissions model on Android (don't know about iOS). I just checked IG and it only has access to storage. Contacts, SMS, microphone, etc are not enabled.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by marcosdumay on Friday December 30, 2016 @10:07AM (#13284672)

WatsApp can read your contacts.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by deadringerr on Thursday December 29, 2016 @04:06PM (#13280134)

Instagram, you say? Go on...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by nommm-nommm on Thursday December 29, 2016 @10:33PM (#13282302)

Instagram is owned by Facebook.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by xivusr on Thursday December 29, 2016 @04:54PM (#13280493)

No mention here if this was the mobile app, but the IOS version will try and upload your contacts when you install messenger.

If you or one of your contacts uploads their address book then your friendship/connection can be inferred from the emails now in their database.

I'd guess your client has messenger installed if you didn't install it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by TallGuyShort on Thursday December 29, 2016 @06:28PM (#13281155)

I suspect they do this if that client has your email address (even a previous one using the same first / last name) and gave Facebook access to their address book.

LinkedIn did this. Registered, also after years of silence on any kind of social media website other than email: "Would you like to connect with your ex-girlfriend who only emailed you one time at a different address?"

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by user5994461 on Thursday December 29, 2016 @06:52PM (#13281299)

I can confirm with 100% certainty that the Facebook android app will scan all your contacts. If you got a guy's number (and maybe that guy got yours), he'll be suggested.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by Fiahil on Thursday December 29, 2016 @07:14PM (#13281414)

Yup. Same if you visit someone's page, if you're not friends, both of you'll get suggestions. It's annoying when you repetitively missclicked on an homonym. Some people working there are too proud of these features to remove them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by user5994461 on Thursday December 29, 2016 @10:24PM (#13282265)

The more I stalk someone, the more I'm suggested to stalk someone. That is creepy.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by nommm-nommm on Thursday December 29, 2016 @10:35PM (#13282312)

I never even had a LinkedIn account and I get those emails from LinkedIn.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by ams6110 on Thursday December 29, 2016 @03:33PM (#13279890)

Or some other more active Facebook user knew both of you. It doesn't take very many hops of the graph to connect people who might not be aware of that connection themselves.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by O5vYtytb on Thursday December 29, 2016 @03:33PM (#13279888)

They know your location and proximity to other facebook users.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by soared on Thursday December 29, 2016 @04:26PM (#13280265)

This is the actual answer. Your phone tried to connect to their wifi and knows they've also connected to that same wifi. With few other quality friend suggestions, these ones popped up.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by rl3 on Thursday December 29, 2016 @05:22PM (#13280688)

Or, if one or both parties were running the Facebook app with location services enabled, it could also have been GPS too.

I wrote about this a few days ago.[0] Basically, new Facebook accounts that you run on the app with location services enabled will provide creepy location-based friend suggestions by default.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13252568

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by kminehart on Wednesday January 04, 2017 @03:28PM (#13321763)

This is fairly old but if you're curious I have since gotten a new phone and have not connected to their wifi; it was likely their contacts that were uploaded to Facebook which included my number.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Facebook Doesn’t Tell Users Everything It Really Knows Ab... by likpok on Thursday December 29, 2016 @05:10PM (#13280611)

Did they ever send you an email or a text? One thing I've had happen is that if the other person uploads their contacts/address book, you start seeing them as suggested friends.

[ Parent | on HN ]