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Original poster

To want to close my Facebook account, and change all my contact info

26 replies

GladysKnight · 09/11/2017 21:11

...and just hide!

This really gives me the creeps:

gizmodo.com/how-facebook-figures-out-everyone-youve-ever-met-1819822691

People have posted on here about wondering if sometimes highly inappropriate friend suggestions come from people stalking you. well, looks like its Facebook doing the stalking - by getting people to upload all their contact info 'so facebook can find some more friends for you'. Meaning - so they can match everyone in your phone with everything in everyone esle's phones and know everything about everyone. Ugh. Please don't help them do this. It's so creepy

OP posts:
toolonglurking · 10/11/2017 19:24

Couldn't you just limit the information you put on facebook? It's not essential to provide the internet with every little detail of your life.

Yarboosucks · 10/11/2017 19:38

Delete it if it bothers you, but you may want to read up on deleting your FB account.

GladAllOver · 10/11/2017 19:48

Why do you think Facebook is free? It's not a public service, it's a very profitable enterprise that makes money by learning all about you, your contacts, your likes and dislikes and your way of life.
When you use privacy settings, they limit what other users can see. But everything you put on Facebook is seen by Facebook and used by Facebook. That's how it works.

CakesRUs · 10/11/2017 19:59

Most folk I speak to say the hate Facebook. I had a holiday with no WiFi and it was bliss. If I didn’t have relatives abroad, I’d just delete it. I think it’s had it’s day.

Raver84 · 10/11/2017 20:52

I've not been on face book for around three years having been on it from around 2007. I think it brings out the worst in most that are on it and it's full of bull shit and dross and fake lives. Delete it. I haven't missed it at all.

GladAllOver · 10/11/2017 21:42

I've never had any problem keeping in touch with friends abroad by email.

HarrietSchulenberg · 10/11/2017 22:32

I set my FB up using an anagram of my name. Had to use a real email, though, but used a separate gmail account that I use for nothing else.

I don't get bothered much by FB crap but I do still get "targeted" ads that strangely only apply to things I've spoken about, not googled. My settings do not enable use of my phone's microphone. Odd, eh?

frillysocks88 · 10/11/2017 23:29

The friends suggestions are interesting.... I.T suggested my landlord 😱we have NO mutual friends

RicottaPancakes · 10/11/2017 23:39

When you join you give them access to your address list, don't you? So even if you never post they still get this info,

GladAllOver · 11/11/2017 09:38

There are various other ways of collecting data on you.
Do you find it convenient to log in to other websites with your Facebook login? That's not put there just to be helpful to you. It's so they can both identify you and exchange information.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 11/11/2017 09:46

When you join you give them access to your address list

Not if you have any sense. The point is though that it is not about what data you give Facebook, it's about what data other people give facebook - which you have absolutely no control.

Eg imagine you set up a minimal FB profile - one of your friends wishes you a happy birthday on your timeline. FB now knows your birthday.

Another friend uploads their contacts - it links with you as FB have your mobile number for 2FA (which it is sensible to have). FB now know your address and any other info your friend had stored.in your contacts.

Friend tags you in a skiing photo - FB now knows you were skiing, where, and when.

All this is done without your knowledge or permission and there is nothing you can do about it.

Exactly the same with anything that offers a "free" product eg Google.

GladAllOver · 11/11/2017 10:35

It has been correctly said that when you use social media you are not the customer, you are the product.

If you receive targeted advertising on any website, that is the result of them collecting and sharing data about you. That will include Mumsnet of course.

Leilaniii · 11/11/2017 10:41

It doesn't both me, I quite like targeted marketing. At least I am seeing things that I will probably like.

Privacy is overrated, in my view.

Firesuit · 11/11/2017 10:52

I don't really use Facebook, only have an account so I can see my sister's profile. I've just had a look through a few hundred "people I might know" and essentially there are three. Two friends of my sister who live on two different other continents, and one long-term neighbour.

I knew I was an anti-social bastard, but I didn't realise it was so extreme that I've managed to defeat Facebook.

Firesuit · 11/11/2017 10:58

My mother, brother, one SIL, two BILs, teenage nephews and nieces aren't people I might know, according to Facebook.

It's possible none of them are on Facebook. (Certain my mother isn't.)

I'm not impressed by Facebook's knowledge of me.

GladAllOver · 11/11/2017 13:07

I'm not impressed by Facebook's knowledge of me.
You are not impressed by what Facebook shows that it knows of you. That's very different. It has collected more data, and uses it in many other ways, than it displays to you there.
But if like Leilanii you are not bothered about your privacy there is no problem. :)

blueskydreams · 11/11/2017 13:12

I'm noticing increasing cynicism about Facebook.🤔
I only use it for stalking and noisiness purposes never my real name and never an email address that I use for anything else
also only ever on a browser

GladAllOver · 11/11/2017 13:16

Yes. That's how I use it!
(and with an extra precaution or two as well)

Vitalogy · 11/11/2017 13:20

Yeah, it's no good. The worse is to come "The Cloud"

blueskydreams · 11/11/2017 13:22

Facebook just harvests and monetizes data
FB is worth a packet we give it all up for free
Anyone who uses Facebook is working for Facebook for free

blueskydreams · 11/11/2017 13:24

What we need is transparency
if they are watching us all the time we need to be able to watch them all the time
we need to know what they know about us

BernardBlacksHangover · 11/11/2017 13:27

Why do you think Facebook is free? It's not a public service, it's a very profitable enterprise that makes money by learning all about you, your contacts, your likes and dislikes and your way of life.
When you use privacy settings, they limit what other users can see. But everything you put on Facebook is seen by Facebook and used by Facebook. That's how it works.

This^^ is my understanding too. I quite fb about a year ago, as I heard a program about it on the radio which put me off. I also closed LinkedIn actually.

It is a cool medium to use and I completely understand why it’s so popular, but I don’t want to be on there.

AngelaTwerkel · 11/11/2017 13:51

"If I didn’t have relatives abroad, I’d just delete it."

Everyone has friends/relatives abroad, and there are plenty of ways to keep in touch with them other than FB.

I still have my account, but I rarely update it. Even then I never put personal info on there. The whole thing gives me the creeps. We just freely give away our info and there's no way of knowing what the consequences of that are. Even Zuckerberg can't know.

VileyRose · 11/11/2017 14:08

I asked for mine to be deleted. Not used it in over a year. Life is much better without it. Honestly!

blueskydreams · 11/11/2017 16:36

I completely understand why it’s so popular
it is deliberately and precisely engineered to make it as addictive and compulsive as possible, to draw you in and keep you there, steal your time and your date