FaceThingy friend suggestions

[Wayne E Edge]

I just set up an account for my wife. I didn't use her name and put no info or didn't take on any friends.
Her friend suggestions came up with people she knows and worked with in the UK.
How is this possible.?

[AJB88]

email address contacts have been uploaded? access to phone contacts etc?

[Wayne E Edge]

Not uploaded any of that. Some of the suggestions are people we know but would not be in email or phone contacts.
It's not as though I put where we live or work. Can't even blame IP address as we now live elsewhere.
Bizarre!

[PSB1]

Presumably the email address used is in the suggested friends’ address book / contact lists.

[durbster]

They only need one piece of information to hook everything up. A phone number or email address makes it easy.

[ging84]

You might not have given access to your contacts, but millions of people do, so even before you sign up they may have many records of people who have had your email address and / or phone number saved.

[CanAm]

Wayne E Edge said:

Not uploaded any of that. Some of the suggestions are people we know but would not be in email or phone contacts.
It's not as though I put where we live or work. Can't even blame IP address as we now live elsewhere.
Bizarre!

You have entered your wife's email address or phone number (and date of birth if you put the real one ) - that's all they need. Once she adds friends, she'll be getting friends of friends as suggested contacts too, and dozens of others she's never heard of.

[the tribester]

ging84 said:

You might not have given access to your contacts, but millions of people do, so even before you sign up they may have many records of people who have had your email address and / or phone number saved.

It'll be this.

You wife's friends have allowed access to their phone book, so they already have her name, number, email, the friends are already on Faceache, with their lists of friends, so the links to suggested friends for your wife are very easy and accurate.

[Wayne E Edge]

Cheers guys. I thought that could be the answer.

Scary.

[AJB88]

I read this yesterday

https://www.lifehacker.co.uk/2020/02/01/find-out-h...

Then followed the guide to the section where it lists websites, websites that I haven't been on in years requesting data this week. Turned it off.

[cobra kid]

"Face Thingy" and "Faceache"

Love how people distance themselves from the masses.

[Riley Blue]

AJB88 said:

I read this yesterday

https://www.lifehacker.co.uk/2020/02/01/find-out-h...

Then followed the guide to the section where it lists websites, websites that I haven't been on in years requesting data this week. Turned it off.

That's a real eye opener! Very alarming too, thanks for the link.

[AJB88]

Riley Blue said:

That's a real eye opener! Very alarming too, thanks for the link.

Isn't it just. There was websites that I dont think I've ever been on in the list of data suppliers / requests.

[55palfers]

AJB88 said:

I read this yesterday

https://www.lifehacker.co.uk/2020/02/01/find-out-h...

Then followed the guide to the section where it lists websites, websites that I haven't been on in years requesting data this week. Turned it off.

Quite. So much for GDPR eh.

[ajprice]

cobra kid said:

"Face Thingy" and "Faceache"

Love how people distance themselves from the masses.

"Faeces Book"

[Sheepshanks]

My wife is convinced it listens to what's being said. She was at her Dad's house the other day and her brother was talking about private GP appointments at a Spire hospital near him.

She's now getting Spire adverts on her Facebook.

[CanAm]

Sheepshanks said:

My wife is convinced it listens to what's being said. She was at her Dad's house the other day and her brother was talking about private GP appointments at a Spire hospital near him.

She's now getting Spire adverts on her Facebook.

Check Permissions under Apps and make sure Microphones is turned off. (and on other Apps too!)

[durbster]

AJB88 said:

Riley Blue said:

That's a real eye opener! Very alarming too, thanks for the link.

Isn't it just. There was websites that I dont think I've ever been on in the list of data suppliers / requests.

I build websites so I know this stuff goes on, but even I was surprised to see my CCTV camera was on the list of things sending data to Facebook.

[Mr Pointy]

Wayne E Edge said:

I just set up an account for my wife. I didn't use her name and put no info or didn't take on any friends.
Her friend suggestions came up with people she knows and worked with in the UK.
How is this possible.?

Although your wife hadn't created a Facebook profile FB had helpfully already created one for her (a shadow profile) since they knew she existed from other FB members whose information referenced her. When she signed up they already had a large amount of information ready to go.

It's very comforting that we have such helpful organisations running our society these days.

[bigandclever]

The stuff that (some) anti virus software and (some) routers collect should surprise a few people.