Facebook tracks what you do online, even when you’re logged out!

Discussion in 'Current Events' started by Defengar, Sep 26, 2011.

  1. Defengar

    Defengar New Member

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    News for Facebookers!

    http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/25/facebook-tracking-logged-out/#.ToAejuQDvCM.facebook

    Entrepreneur and hacker Nik Cubrilovic reports that Facebook can track the web pages you visit even when you are logged out of Facebook.

    According to Cubrilovic’s tests, Facebook merely alters its tracking cookies when you log out, rather than deleting them. Your account information and other unique identifiable tokens are still present in these cookies, which means that any time you visit a web page with a Facebook button or widget, your browser is still sending personally identifiable information back to Facebook.

    “With my browser logged out of Facebook, whenever I visit any page with a Facebook like button, or share button, or any other widget, the information, including my account ID, is still being sent to Facebook,” Cubrilovic wrote.

    “They definitely have the information stored,” Cubrilovic told VentureBeat in an interview today. “As to what they do with it, you can only speculate.”

    Facebook engineer Arturo Bejar said (in the comments on this post) that Facebook uses the data from logged-out cookies only to prevent spamming, phishing and other security risks.

    “Also please know that also when you’re logged in (or out) we don’t use our cookies to track you on social plugins to target ads or sell your information to third parties,” Bejar said.

    Cubrilovic’s claims are based on his analysis of HTTP headers sent by browsers to Facebook.com. He says the tests are repeatable by anyone with a browser that has development tools installed.

    If correct, this could be a potentially serious violation of privacy. Some people are already alarmed that Facebook’s new “open graph” apps can report what you are reading or listening to in real time, adding the media you consume to your profile as an update without you clicking a “like” button.

    It’s not clear how Facebook’s 800 million reported users will react to this revelation. “Facebook trains you to undervalue your privacy,” said author and BoingBoing editor Cory Doctorow earlier this week at the Strata Summit in New York, and many of the site’s users have shown no hesitation at all in continuing to use the site despite its complicated and constantly-changing privacy settings.

    On the other hand, consumer reaction to Facebook’s Beacon feature several years ago forced the company to significantly revamp its approach. Beacon was similar to this year’s open graph in that it shared information about what you were doing online without you having to take explicit actions, like clicking on a button. Eventually, Facebook changed the way this worked, so nothing was shared without your explicit permission.

    To block Facebook from following you, you need to delete all Facebook-related cookies after logging out. You may also be able to use AdBlock Plus to block Facebook, with the following rules, as reported on Hacker News:
    ------------------------------------

    Any thoughts?

    If you don't want the CIA after you for watching too much "My Little Ponies", check this!!! -> http://www.ghostery.com/
     
  2. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    I wouldn't be happy about it but they are not the only ones. I have looked for something on the internet and then go to other sites and there are ads for what I had searched for before.
     
  3. Lady Luna

    Lady Luna New Member

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    I had that happen at another forum today. It was kinda creepy.
     
  4. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    Happens to me all the time. I have adblocker...but it still happens. Guess the CIA and FBI will come knocking at my door soon, especially if leftist loser Zuckerberg finds out some of the things I search for and what I write on this forum...ATTACK WATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  5. HB Surfer

    HB Surfer Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I think it is true. Facebook had no way of knowing I was shopping for Retro-Fish Surfboards, yet there was the ad for them on the side column. I guess I need to clear my cookies all the time.
     
  6. Panzerkampfwagen

    Panzerkampfwagen New Member

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    Duh. How many times do you go onto a website and it has your name down the bottom and your FB profile pic?
     
  7. theunbubba

    theunbubba Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Easy to cure for free. Many of the programs in this site are free or have freeware versions.
    http://download.cnet.com/windows/?tag=hdr;brandnav

    I personally use:
    Advanced System Care
    Hijack This
    AVG antivirus
    Revo Uninstaller
    Win Patrol

    Facebook doesn't use anything that other sites don't use. They're just simple tracking cookies and now people use Adobe Flash cookies.
    It's just nuisance value at the worst.
     
  8. Inphormer

    Inphormer Banned

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    That's why I don't use Facebook, OnStar, or have an iPhone.
     
  9. Inphormer

    Inphormer Banned

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    This always creeps me out.
     
  10. Til the Last Drop

    Til the Last Drop Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well, I guess my watching of "Japanese twins dwarf porn" can now be used against me when I run for president in 30 years. Great. Figures.
     
  11. Lethal

    Lethal New Member

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    If you don't like it all you have to remember that no one is forcing you to use facebook.
     
  12. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    You betcha...LMAO....I'd still vote for ya...:mrgreen:
     
  13. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    It's not just facebook...it's just using the internet...I see you are using it.
     
  14. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    If you think it is just them, you are mistaken...it's on the internet and you right now are on the internet.
     
  15. Til the Last Drop

    Til the Last Drop Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    True. The state can use all current cell phones as wire taps as long as the battery is in it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if all flat screen monitors have a web cam in them, like that of lap tops.
     
  16. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    Wouldn't doubt it either. 50 some billion cellphones that they can tap into at anytime anywhere all over the world, whether turned on or off.
     
  17. Hjalmar Thorsson

    Hjalmar Thorsson Banned

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    Google does the same thing. Some cookies can't even be recognized by your web browser anymore, so they're not cleared even when you clear your browsing history.
     
  18. Defengar

    Defengar New Member

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    uh. you can take apart your monitor and see that that is plain bunk...
     
  19. Til the Last Drop

    Til the Last Drop Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I said I wouldn't be surprised. I assure you, if not here now, it is on its way.
     
  20. GeddonM3

    GeddonM3 Well-Known Member

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    always wondered how FB would have adds on car stuff and sports on my page lol.
     
  21. dairyair

    dairyair Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to the digital world. Where every keystroke can be monitored. Every cell phone can be tracked. Every street corner with a camera. Big brother is watching. Better be good.
    Every credit card swipe monitored. You can be tracked everyday from time you wake up until you go to bed.
     
  22. Speeders R Murderers

    Speeders R Murderers Banned

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    Libs will prolly demand a law stopping this but the best answer is for ppl to stop using facebook.
     
  23. Rapunzel

    Rapunzel New Member Past Donor

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    It's not just facebook...it's the whole internet and cell phones. You better get off right now and stop your cell phone and internet.
     
  24. fishmatter

    fishmatter New Member

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    Yeah, I saw this when it was published and while I think they're probably telling the truth about how they use the data you never know, and things could always change. I just wrote a script that zips any facebook cookies and moves them to a temp directory as soon as I leave facebook or quit the browser, and then puts them back whenever I go back to facebook. As far as they're concerned whenever I'm on a site with a facebook button I'm just some dude who's never visited facebook in his life.
     
  25. Serfin' USA

    Serfin' USA Well-Known Member

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    Log on to Facebook.
    Post stuff.
    Log out.
    Close browser.
    Delete history and internet cache.

    Problem solved.

    It is still pretty messed up though. Zuckerberg now knows what porno I enjoy most.
     

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