Does Facebook track phone records?

Fisheadgib

I know that quite a few of you interact with each other on Facebook pretty regularly and I have a few of you "friended" but I don't really go to the site but once every few months. I got a message from a friend the other day and when I opened my page, I found a pretty long list of "friend" recommendations and "people you might know". I scrolled through the names and noticed that many of them were people that I have never had any email or web related exchanges with but have spoken with over the phone. Many of them were customers or employees of my customers that have called me about equipment that needed repair and some were people that I've known in the past and may have spoken with over the phone several years ago. There is no way that I can see that "the internet" could tell that I know these people aside from phone records. Have any of y'all noticed this?

breamfisher

Did you input your phone number into Facebook? I've been prompted to, but never had so I really don't know if it's a factor.

Fisheadgib

breamfisher wrote: »

Did you input your phone number into Facebook? I've been prompted to, but never had so I really don't know if it's a factor.

Nope, never have.

bullsi1911

Could be. If you downloaded the app on your phone, check its privacy settings. See if it has access to contacts, location services, etc...

One of the reasons I killed my FB account a few years ago was stuff like that. But now LinkedIn is doing the same creepy stuff... Seeing "do you know..." People that I emailed personally from my gmail account and have no business relationship with. So, that information is being tracked and for sale.

breamfisher

Hmmm. I was just wondering if that was how they got your list of contacts. Maybe if you use it on your smart phone it tracks them? Or maybe it's just by common associations?


I really don't know, just speculating here...

Fisheadgib

I don't have a smart phone and a few of these people were never in my phone book. A friend of mine's stepson called me a few months ago to let me know that his dad passed away suddenly and that was my only phone call with him and he showed up on the list. Some of my electronic geek friends claim that facebook uses some face recognition software to identify people in the background on pictures that people post.

zorba

One more time: Stay the 'ell OFF of Face***k and sites like it!

Fisheadgib

cpj wrote: »

Friends of friends of friends of friends.....seem to pop up.
If you friend Bob, then you will get "people you may know" that are friends with Bob. If bob makes friends with Harry, then you get Harry and his friends as people you may know. And that pattern repeats for infinity, for each friend everyone adds. If you look below the friends suggestions, it may say "____(insert number) mutual friends". If you see that, you know you have a friend who is friends with that person being suggested.

Those, I understand. Many of the names don't list any mutual friends at all and my only electronic interaction with them ever was a phone call. Imagine talking to a customer on the phone one time and having them show up a a list of people that you might know.

Txwheels

Facebook tracks EVERYTHING. And they share their info with the feds anytime the feds request it.
Using Facebook is very foolish!

zorba

Txwheels wrote: »

Facebook tracks EVERYTHING. And they share their info with the feds anytime the feds request it.
Using Facebook is very foolish!

:agree::that:

breamfisher

If you're worried about the feds tracking what you post... stay off the interwebs.

shootbrownelk

zorba wrote: »

One more time: Stay the 'ell OFF of Face***k and sites like it!

I'm with you Zorba, no Face***k for me.

breamfisher

cpj wrote: »

Fify

Judging by what some folks post here, I think they'd rather do that.

There's beau-coup irony there.

bullsi1911

Fisheadgib wrote: »

I don't have a smart phone and a few of these people were never in my phone book.

I bet THEY have a smartphone and Facebook app and never changed the default setting from "sell every bit of my private life to the highest bidder!"

You can take all the security precautions in the world, but it just takes one person being stupid to get your information out in the wild.


By the way, I left Facebook about 2 years ago, and don't miss it one bit. I realized it was just pissing me off, and all I was doing was making fun of people. I did not want to be that kind of person, so I left.

breamfisher

bullsi1911 wrote: »

By the way, I left Facebook about 2 years ago, and don't miss it one bit. I realized it was just pissing me off, and all I was doing was making fun of people. I did not want to be that kind of person, so I left.

But... you're still HERE....

breamfisher

cpj wrote: »

"They can't track me, I've got a flip phone! Not a smart phone!"

Hope they don't use credit cards.

zorba

The difference between the rest of the web and sites like face***k can be likened to going for a walk downtown in the big city vs. standing in the middle of a 10 lane freeway at rush hour. Still a risk, but you're not just standing there asking to get run over!

And yea, I have a flip fone. I wouldn't have a smart fone if you gave it to me. I hope the guy that invented the smart fone rots in - wait a minute, he already is! :tooth: