MN, FB, marketing companies and our data

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hi MN,

Several people expressed concerns about privacy when you introduced the logging in via fb ability. I've a few questions to ask at this point and as there will be other people here who are far more expert in online data on here, these are questions best asked in public. You will know me as a long termer here, who clearly enjoys using this site.

Firstly, with regards to GDPR, how will you be complying with the requirements of new legislation?

How much data do you hold on us? Who do you share it with and how is our information held?

When we fill out daft and not so daft marketing surveys on here, what are the data protection requirements incumbent on both yourselves and the marketing companies?

Have Cambridge Analytica ever been one of the companies that have gathered data through you, either overtly, or covertly under other trading names?

Have any other analytical companies gather political or other information on users, other than for marketing products purposes?

Please can you reiterate and summarise what permissions are given to facebook when logging into this site. Are these permissions limited to data held only by the user, or to their friends list as well?

How absolutely sure can you be that facebook have not also gathered information from mn beyond the permissions explicitly given? Are these reassurances purely given by facebook, or have you looked specifically about the data protection side with your own experts?

How does mn benefit from logging in through fb? Did they approach you for this, or did you approach them? Do you hold any data about users from their fb profiles?

I realise this is a long list of detailed questions that may take time to answer them. But I do feel they are important questions. Thank you.

[Lillylollylandy]

Great questions.

[Roussette]

Good thread BadK I shall watch with interest.

[Globetrotter100]

Good one OP.

[Somerville]

I too would be interested in answers to the above questions. Thanks, OYBBK.

[lettuceWrap]

Checking in Badkitten, will come back to the thread later when I have time. Definitely need to think carefully about how to reduce my data footprint**

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I do have a further question about advertising on here.

Clearly ads on mn are targeted, this targeting is clearly run by data analytical companies by putting cookies on our devices. Which are those companies please?

[PerkingFaintly]

I've been wondering exactly the same about FB log-ins.

[TheClaws]

Thanks for asking this question OYBBK. I’m interested to know too.

[OnTheDarkSideOfTheSpoon]

Thanks oybbk, would like to know too!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I apologise in advance. With the above questions relating to facebook, please can you also apply them to data sharing with google. Thank you.

[AdelicaArundel]

OYBBK
Just want to add my support to your excellent questions.

[KochabRising]

Excellent questions.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Thanks for your support :)

I'm looking forward to what I hope will be open, comprehensive answers to these questions. Not because I think mn are being the bad guy, I'm not trying to set them up for a fall - its completely the opposite. I'm asking because it is an immensely complex issue. Data protection and sharing among social media platforms, advertisers and data analysis companies clearly has huge implications. I'd like to understand how my data is being used and by whom.

[onalongsabbatical]

Hi Mumsnet - I think we need some communication on this sometime soon. What with the Facebook/CA debacle and all.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I'm hopeful that mn are taking their time so that they can respond properly and in full.

[ohfortuna]

Never ever log into anything with your Facebook account or your Google account or whatever account, it's just a ruse to harvest and monetize your data

[onalongsabbatical]

OhYouBadBadKitten hopefully that's the case.
ohfortuna yes, that's dawning on me at last. It's hard to keep up but I'm beginning to get how sinister all these networks potentially are and how we, as citizens and individuals, have to try and stay vigilant and ahead of them, if that's even possible.

[AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth]

Bad kitten.

The answers you have asked are so complicated that it would take a long time to answer. Data analytics is huge and insidious. If you don't take steps to avoid it, every aspect of your life can and will be tracked like a bad Orwellian nightmare.

If you want a very shocking report on it, have a look at
www.amazon.co.uk/Networks-Control-Corporate-Surveillance-Tracking/dp/3708914732?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[ohfortuna]

@Assignedpuuurfect Ironically the link you posted has this on it tag=mumsnetforum-21
Mumsnet has an algorithm set up so that if you post the link to a product on Amazon (and possibly other companies) they make some profit out of it
just another way of monetizing all the time we spend busily creating content for their website

[ohfortuna]

Remember all the fuss on here when they started using skimlinks?

[ohfortuna]

If you log into Mumsnet with Facebook that means that Mumsnet has access to your Facebook activity and profile and vice versa, both companies can then build a much more sophisticated and detailed profile of you
this information can also be sold on to third parties
Don't give you this option to make life easy for you they give you this option because it's very profitable for them

[GladAllOver]

Calling in to add my voice to the request.

[Mogleflop]

I'm interested in this too, and how much of a picture of "me" has been stored up from surveys over the years, along with past usernames and posts, and how accessible that data would be to someone who hacked the system.

Great questions.

[AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth]

Oh yes ohfortuna, so it does. I backtracked my actions. The tag is added to the URL when posted.

I don't have a problem with MN getting extra income from this tbf, as it doesn't affect me but of course it gives tracking info about whoever clicks it, presumably, even if you use a cookie/tracker blocker

Thanks for that, really interesting

[GladAllOver]

"If the service is free, the product is you."