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| DATE | 2019-06-04 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Data and Privacu wars with facebook
|
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5578619/Facebook-scans-contents-private-Messenger-texts.html
Mark Zuckerberg admits Facebook scans some of the contents of your
private Messenger conversations in the latest blow to the scandal hit firm
Facebook checks messages to ensure they are in line with community
standards
Zuckerberg confirmed the policy of scanning texts during a podcast
interview
Links and images are scanned to prevent spread of illegal and
extreme content
The text of your messages may be read manually if its flagged to
moderators
It sparked further privacy concerns in the wake of Cambridge
Analytica scandal
The consulting firm bought data from 50 million unsuspecting
Facebook users
By Tim Collins For Mailonline
Published: 13:29 EDT, 4 April 2018 | Updated: 12:11 EDT, 5 April 2018
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Facebook scans the contents of messages that people send each other on
its Messenger app, blocking any content that contravenes its rules, it
has emerged.
The scandal-hit firm, still reeling from the Cambridge Analytica
debacle, checks images and links for illegal or extreme content using
automated systems.
What you write in your messages may also be read manually if it's
flagged to moderators for breaching Facebook's community guidelines.
While the intentions behind the practice may be well-meaning, the news
is likely to add to users' concerns over what the social network knows
about them.
It follows revelations that the Trump-affiliated consulting firm
obtained data on at least 50 million unsuspecting Facebook users.
This information was used to target voters in the US, based on
psychological profiling, with political adverts spreading disinformation.
Facebook is also facing criticism for collecting years of data on call
and text histories from Android users.
Scroll down for video
Facebook, based in Mountain View California, is in full damage-control
mode, with Mark Zuckerberg acknowledging he's made a 'huge mistake' in
failing to take a broad enough view of what Facebook's responsibility is
in the world
+8
Mark Zuckerberg, pictured here in July 2017, has admitted Facebook scans
the contents of messages that people send each other on its Messenger
app blocking any that contravene its guidelines
CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the policy during a podcast interview with
Vox's editor at large, Ezra Klein.
Zuckerberg told his host a story about receiving a phone call from staff
at his Mountain View firm.
He was informed that their systems had blocked attempts to send
inflammatory Messenger instant messages about ethnic cleansing in Myanmar.
About the experience, the 33-year-old billionaire said: 'In that case,
our systems detect what’s going on.
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'We stop those messages from going through.'
The news has been met with mixed reactions on social media, with a
number of users expressing concern.
Messenger says that it doesn’t use data from messages it has scanned for
the purposes of advertising, according to reports in Bloomberg.
The company told the website that it uses the same tools to prevent
abuse in messages that are in place across Facebook as a whole.
Messenger says that it doesn’t use data from messages it has scanned
for the purposes of advertising, but that is likely to be of little
comfort in the current climate, with privacy at the forefront of many
Facebook user's minds (stock image)
+8
Messenger says that it doesn’t use data from messages it has scanned
for the purposes of advertising, but that is likely to be of little
comfort in the current climate, with privacy at the forefront of many
Facebook user's minds (stock image)
Users are also able to flag posts or messages that they feel are in
violation of the site's house rules.
This will either cause one of the social network's community operations
team to manually review the content, or automated systems can also make
decisions.
'Keeping your messages private is the priority for us,' a Facebook
Messenger spokesman said in a statement to MailOnline.
'We protect the community with automated systems that detect things like
known images of child exploitation and malware. This is not done by humans.
'We do not listen to your voice and video calls.'
But that is likely to be of little comfort in the current climate, with
privacy at the forefront of many Facebook user's minds.
One Twitter user, Kevin Chastain, claims to have experienced Messenger
texts being used to target advertising, tweeting: 'So I was messaging my
wife about dinner tonight mentioned a particular place on Facebook
messenger and then opened up Facebook about to see an ad for that
restaurant.
'Tell me they aren’t in on every convo I have. Scary!'
WHAT HAS FACEBOOK DONE TO ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS?
Facebook is giving its privacy tools a makeover as it reels from
criticisms over its data practices and faces tighter European
regulations in the coming months.
The changes won't affect Facebook's privacy policies or the types of
data it gathers about its users.
But the company hopes its 2.2 billion users will have an easier time
navigating its complex and often confusing privacy and security settings.
Facebook is giving its privacy tools a makeover as it reels from
criticisms over its data practices and faces tighter European
regulations in the coming months. This image shows how the settings will
appear before (left) and after (right) the redesign
+8
Facebook is giving its privacy tools a makeover as it reels from
criticisms over its data practices and faces tighter European
regulations in the coming months. This image shows how the settings will
appear before (left) and after (right) the redesign
Facebook says it's trying to make the controls easier to find and to
give users a simpler way to access and download the data it collects on
them.
The announcement follows revelations that Trump-affiliated consulting
firm got data on millions of unsuspecting Facebook users.
Facebook is also facing criticism for collecting years of data on call
and text histories from Android users.
In a written statement, Erin Egan, vice president and chief privacy
officer, policy, and Ashlie Beringer, vice president and deputy general
counsel, said: 'Last week showed how much more work we need to do to
enforce our policies and help people understand how Facebook works and
the choices they have over their data.
This image shows a redesign of Facebook's privacy tools. The changes
won't affect Facebook's privacy policies or the types of data it gathers
on users, but the company hopes users will have an easier time
navigating its complex settings menus
+8
This image shows a redesign of Facebook's privacy tools. The changes
won't affect Facebook's privacy policies or the types of data it gathers
on users, but the company hopes users will have an easier time
navigating its complex settings menus
Among the changes, Facebook is making data settings and tools easier to
find, is introducing a new privacy shortcuts menu, and is adding tools
to find, download and delete your Facebook data
+8
Among the changes, Facebook is making data settings and tools easier to
find, is introducing a new privacy shortcuts menu, and is adding tools
to find, download and delete your Facebook data
'We’ve heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important
tools are too hard to find and that we must do more to keep people
informed.
'We’re taking additional steps in the coming weeks to put people more in
control of their privacy.
'Most of these updates have been in the works for some time, but the
events of the past several days underscore their importance.'
Among the changes, Facebook is making data settings and tools easier to
find, is introducing a new privacy shortcuts menu, and is adding tools
to find, download and delete your Facebook data.
Zuckerberg took out full-page adverts in nine major US and British
newspapers in late March to apologise for the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
In the ads, the Facebook founder vowed to clamp down on allowing third
parties access to data which can be sold on.
The ads, done in simple black text against a plain white background,
were headlined: 'We have a responsibility to protect your information.
If we can't, we don't deserve it.'
'You may have heard about a quiz app built by a university researcher
that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014,' the apology
begins.
'This was a breach of trust, and I'm sorry we didn't do more at the
time. We're now taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again.'
'We've already stopped apps like this from getting so much information.
Now we're limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook.'
'We're also investigating every single app that had access to large
amounts of data before we fixed this. We expect there are others. And
when we find them, we will ban them and tell everyone affected.'
Facebook says that it uses the same tools to prevent abuse in Messenger
app (pictured) messages that are in place across the social network as a
whole
+8
Facebook says that it uses the same tools to prevent abuse in Messenger
app (pictured) messages that are in place across the social network as a
whole
'Finally, we'll remind you which apps you've given access to your
information - so you can shut off the ones you don't want anymore.'
'Thank you for believing in this community. I promise to do better for you.'
The apology was formally signed off by the Facebook chief.
The Facebook data scandal deepened after users found the social network
had harvested information including call logs and text messages.
Some users discovered the firm had been storing complete logs of
incoming and outgoing calls and text messages.
Others reported that data such as contacts in their address books,
social events in their calendars and even friends' birthdays had been
stored.
One user, Dylan McKay, reported that from October 2016 to July 2017 his
logs contained 'the data of every [mobile] call I've made, including
time and duration' and 'data about every text message I've received or
sent'.
Rather than delete an account entirely, the social media site encourages
people to 'deactivate' their profile as this leaves all personal data on
its servers.
However, when users request to permanently delete their accounts, the
site suggests: 'You may want to download a copy of your info from Facebook.'
Emma Kennedy tweeted that she had found that Facebook had recorded
'every single phone number in my contacts.
Facebook is also facing criticism for collecting years of data on call
and text histories from Android users. Facebook user Dylan McKay
revealed Facebook logged every mobile call he'd ever made
+8
Facebook is also facing criticism for collecting years of data on call
and text histories from Android users. Facebook user Dylan McKay
revealed Facebook logged every mobile call he'd ever made
'They had every single social event I went to, a list of all my friends
and their birthdays, and a list of every text I've sent'
'They have plundered my phone. They have phone numbers of people who
aren’t on Facebook. They have phone numbers of household names who, I’m
sure, would be furious to know their phone numbers are accessible. I’m
appalled.'
A Facebook spokesman said: 'The first time you sign in on your phone to
a messaging or social app, it's a widely used practice to begin by
uploading your phone contacts.
'Contact uploading is optional. People are expressly asked if they want
to give permission to upload their contacts from their phone – it's
explained right there in the apps when you get started.
'People can delete previously uploaded information at any time and can
find all the information available to them in their account and activity
log from our Download Your Information tool.'
The company says an opt-out for uploading contacts is available and
users can delete all uploaded contacts by turning off the continuous
uploading setting in Facebook's Messenger app.
All previously uploaded contacts are deleted when a user permanently
removes their profile. Contacts will also no longer continue to be
uploaded.
WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL?
Communications firm Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York,
Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia.
The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action'
through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists
and behavioural psychologists.
'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in
winning presidential races as well as congressional and state
elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters,
Cambridge Analytica claims on its website.
The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for
permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your
Facebook friends.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured),
after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims,
including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the
election of Donald Trump
+8
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured),
after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims,
including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the
election of Donald Trump
This meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million
Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to
do so.
This was designed to help them create software that can predict and
influence voters' choices at the ballot box.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after
recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims,
including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the
election of Donald Trump.
This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign
in the UK.
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Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook¿s hardest year, and what comes next
Facebook Scans What You Send Other People on Messenger App - Bloomberg
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So many immigrant groups have swept through our town
that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological
proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998
http://www.mrbrklyn.com
DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www.brooklyn-living.com
Being so tracked is for FARM ANIMALS and extermination camps,
but incompatible with living as a free human being. -RI Safir 2013
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