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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is a GDPR violation?

94 replies

GolfDeltaPapaRomeo · 07/07/2020 12:18

I signed up to Facebook with really secure privacy settings, and didn't add any friends as I am moving countries and need to look up some local info and the groups and the market place would be useful.

I did not sign up with a mobile number, FB doesn't require one upon signing up.

a while later FB decided 'for my security' that I should give them a phone number and it won't allow me to go to my home page to delete my account without first giving them the number.

It says it won't use it to recommend me to "people I know" but that third party apps might use it that way.

I have a stalker and do not want this to happen.

I don't see why I have to give my data to a company who are renowned for using it inappropriately in order to delete it in order to delete my account. Surely this is a breach of GDPR I have a right to decide what information I give out and to demand my data be removed.

There is no customer service so you can't complain. The yhave a "help" section but that isn't even posting my bloody complaint.

How do they get away with this?

OP posts:

DGRossetti · 07/07/2020 13:29

Doesn't Facebook allow you to generate the codes needed inside the site/app so you can write them down for times when you can't get a signal ?

Settings->Security & Privacy -> Security -> 2FA -> Settings

Recovery codes
Use recovery codes to log in if you lose your phone or can’t receive a verification code via text message or an authentication app.

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 13:30

I think YABU. Using Facebook was always a choice and I’m fairly certain you won’t have read their T&Cs before signing up.

They’re not in breach of GDPR here; they haven’t done anything wrong.

lifesalongsong · 07/07/2020 13:31

@GolfDeltaPapaRomeo

facebook is free and voluntary, you're getting your panties in a bunch over nothing I'd probably be somewhat calmer about it hmm

@rottiemum88 @lifesalongsong
Tell that to the person I am hiding from. I never expect anyone to read the full thread but please do try and read the whole OP. It wasn't long and it makes you look a bit dim if you can't manage that and then get all twatty on a thread.

@notheragain4 that's all really useful. Thank you!

@ELW85 I see that now thank you again for all your help.

If you're hiding from someone why would you have signed up with your real name in the first place? That's not the fault of facebook, unless you are the only person in the world with your name what is the risk of a blank profile with no identiftying information? I assume you have it set so that no one can send you a friend request or a message.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/07/2020 13:34

Doesn't Facebook allow you to generate the codes needed inside the site/app Not sure OP is listening to that kind of query, DGR!

If you're hiding from someone why would you have signed up with your real name in the first place? Stop making sense!!!!! It's not helpful!

Doggodogington · 07/07/2020 13:37

Can’t you just change your name on the FB account, delete the app, block the website and move on.

DGRossetti · 07/07/2020 13:37

Doesn't Facebook allow you to generate the codes needed inside the site/app Not sure OP is listening to that kind of query, DGR!

Just trying to help ...

SisyphusDad · 07/07/2020 13:38

DrPatient,

You are Nick Clegg, and I claim my £5.

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 13:39

@Doggodogington

Can’t you just change your name on the FB account, delete the app, block the website and move on.

They won’t let her get into the app to do anything until she provides a telephone number.

So no, she can’t. But I do think she should just drop it and move on. If everything’s private as she thinks it is then it’s just the same as before, she just can’t access it.

notheragain4 · 07/07/2020 13:40

@Hingeandbracket

They are expected to adhere to the legislation as much as Amazon or a government department is supposed to.

Except there is fuck all evidence of facebook (or Amazon for that matter) giving a fuck and no-one is enforcing the law.

Martin Lewis had to personally take facebook to court uisng his own money to get them to take any notice, despite the scam ads being contrary to UK law.

People need to wake up - Facebook doesn't give a fuck about piffling stuff like privacy laws.

I said there was an expectation to, not that they do, trust me you're preaching to the converted. I'm just responding to the poster who said as it wasn't a paid for service the data subject had less rights, which simply isn't true.

mindutopia · 07/07/2020 13:49

It may be annoying and you might even say an issue of corporate irresponsibility, but it's definitely not a GDPR violation (I work with data protection issues).

If I had a stalker though, I wouldn't be signing up for social media using my real name or any identifying information. If you haven't done that, then no big deal, just move on, you don't need to use or delete the account if you don't intend to you it.

Thinkingabout1t · 07/07/2020 13:55

Many years ago I opened a Facebook account in order to take part in a campaign i supported, but I put in all random fake details apart from my name (not an unusual name), as i didn’t intend to use it for anything else. Before i had time to tell anyone i had done this, my sister rang to warn me because she thought someone had set up a fake account in my name. Facebook had apparently contacted everyone i had ever emailed, without my permission.

MrMeSeeks · 07/07/2020 13:59

My acc was never locked. I never had my account in my name. You can also delete the account, ofcourse you can!

DGRossetti · 07/07/2020 14:02

@Thinkingabout1t

Facebook knows who you are whether you have signed up or not. It was why despite loathing it, I signed up. To ensure I had control of that.

It's a matter of interest what they do with the data of people who have never signed up ...

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 14:13

@MrMeSeeks

My acc was never locked. I never had my account in my name. You can also delete the account, ofcourse you can!

Only if you can get in, which OP can’t.

LemonTT · 07/07/2020 14:17

I didn’t give FB any details about me and maxed out privacy settings. Only used it to access something on an overseas restaurant. Then never again. They eventually decided I was a bot and suspended me. Job done.

Original poster

GolfDeltaPapaRomeo · 07/07/2020 14:22

Doesn't Facebook allow you to generate the codes needed inside the site/app

Not sure OP is listening to that kind of query, DGR!

It's not the OP who isn't listening.

I can't do anything. I can't generate codes, I can't refuse to give my number and just bypass it to go to the home screen. I appreciate people may have never had it happen to them but it's literally not an option.

I had to go to an incognito tab just to open the page to contact the data protection officer as while I'm logged in it automatically sends me back to the add a phone number page. And if I'm not logged in I can't delete my account. Think on it.

In fact if people think that it such a ridiculous concept I suppose that means they must actually agree with me. Because they seem unable to even comprehend it happening.

As for why I used my own name, I have explained it already and as there are literally thosands of people with my name that's not the problem.

The problem is when it sends a person you may know with my name to the person I am trying to hide from

Honestly, it's really not hard.

I didn't ask if I was unreasonable to not want to use Fb, or if they were unreasonable to ask for numbers.

I asked if it was unreasonable for them to refuse to make it impossible for me to delete my account without first giving up additional information.

Anyway I've used the sensible information and to those people who offered it.

I'm going to bow out of the thread for now as it's hard to have a discussion with people who won't even read the OP's posts now that there's a bloody direct link for it (which is ironic considering the posters who think I haven't read the T&C)

OP posts:

Inthemuckheap · 07/07/2020 14:24

Use a fake number.

december2020 · 07/07/2020 14:27

Have you by any chance missed a small box somewhere that lets you skip adding your phone number?

I ask as I've never given Facebook my number, I just checked and it's blank in my privacy settings and I've never encountered a page where they won't let me access my account without giving a number.

Xenia · 07/07/2020 14:33

It is a big GDPR issue arising all the time. Eg many companies want your passport to prove you are who you say you are to delete the data!

When I opted out of NHS use of my data the NHS had no email or telephone number of me (great - what I want) so the only way to do it was by post with my NHS number which is excellent and I used that method but I bet internet companies cannot so easily set up that kind of system.

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 14:38

The problem is when it sends a person you may know with my name to the person I am trying to hide from

So why did you create an account in your real name in the first place then?

Because being locked out of your account is really irrelevant here; this would have been the case whether you had access or not.

heartsonacake · 07/07/2020 14:39

@Inthemuckheap

Use a fake number.

Again, they require a text verification code so this isn’t an option.

🤦‍♀️ People really need to RTFT.

SmallChickBilly · 07/07/2020 14:40

For those who are sure that they never had to deal with this, I can attest to the fact that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach where FB is concerned. I was similarly scathing when my dad was trying to set up an account and was asked to send a photo in to verify his account, which he did only to be told that he was clearly using a fake photo (despite it being taken specifically for the purposes of the request). He also tried using an image that was associated with him on another social networking site to 'prove' that was him and sent a number of requests for further information and ended up just never being able to register! I had had none of this when I signed up, so patronisingly sat with him only to discover that it was true and there was seemingly no way to get around it! He still doesn't have a FB account and has given up trying to open one now, but there do seem to be a number of different hoops that they can ask you to jump through which are applied seemingly at random (although probably algorithm based!).

DGRossetti · 07/07/2020 14:51

The impression I am getting is that the OP signed up with a real email address. And from that point the problem is anyone else who has that email address in their Facebook contacts list might get an email saying "Guess what ! "GDPR" has just joined Facebook. Why not sent them a friend request".

That's before you decide whether to let Facebook riffle through your email contacts.

I'm sure the OP will put me right if I've misunderstood.

All of which being said, isn't there still some debate as to whether Facebook really does delete profiles once requested ?

jessstan2 · 07/07/2020 14:52

You can delete your account. I did.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/07/2020 15:03

The problem is when it sends a person you may know with my name to the person I am trying to hide from As others have said, why on Earth did you set up an account in your real name?

I know what you said, upthread, but really, what were you thinking? The whole point of fb is that it lonks you to anyone and his dog if it thinks there is the remotest connection.

From what you have clarified, it sounds as though your account has been identified as fake or odd in some way... so they won't unlock it without further verification. You'll need to rootle round for any and all other ways of contacting them! As you said you have done...

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