A Commenter's Facebook Experiment

In reading results from a poll which indicates that most users distrust Facebook on MSNBC, I got to reading the comments to see what the general consensus was on it. I deleted my account a little over a year ago. Anyhoo, here is the comment I found interesting:

About a year ago I conducted my own "investigation" into Facebook because I was having suspicions about an increase in junk mail and telemarketer calls.

On a brand new computer I signed up on Facebook with a completely phony name and profile. (This is not illegal in two states with more pending as Facebook bribes state legislators.) I did several image comparisons between the post-Facebook image of my computer with a pre-Facebook image. I found that Facebook puts two cookies on your computer (regardless of your cookie settings.) One is a "session" cookie that actively tracks your browser keystrokes anytime you are on the internet, even if you are not signed on to Facebook. The other is a "persistent" cookie that is active whenever your computer is turned on. This cookie "browses" your hard drive.

I created a single document on the new computer in a folder in My Documents called "Private." In that folder I put a single Notepad document containing the phony name on my Facebook account, my real address and my real landline telephone number.

Then I went on my Facebook account and made several wall posts that indicated that I might be an insulin-dependent diabetic and that I had moderate hearing loss with severe tinitus. I created several other accounts on the library computers near my house where I could arrange to use several internet-connected computers at once. I then commented back and forth about the diabetes and hearing problems in a pretty routine and low-key manner on several different days. I also posted a single picture on the phony account that had several people in Mardi Gras masks --- only I was without a mask --- but I tagged it with the names of several of the "friends." Then I deleted all the accounts.

Within two weeks I started receiving telephone calls from telemarketers that would begin, "We are checking to make sure you are checking your blood sugar daily. ...." Telemarketing of diabetic supplies is one of the most sleazy operations on the earth. Within four weeks I was receiving a stream of junk mail for hearing aids, some of them specifically geared to tinitus. Hearing aids are also a very disreputable business and they do not help with tinitus. I discontinued the landline as I had planned all along, but the flood of junk mail continues to this date.

I can do a tag search and find the "deleted" photograph as of yesterday. The sale of confidential medical information obtained without the person's express permission is a serious violation of HIPAA, but the Justice Department "declined" to become involved.

I do get my revenge, however. I carefully mail back every pre-paid postcard or envelope that I receive unsolicited. (Not just this issue, but credit card offers, crooked mortgage insurance, etc.) Each returned envelope costs the sender about a dollar.

No one should ever trust Facebook. They mine your data from your hard drive without permission and monitor every site you browse and everything you enter online, including credit card numbers, etc. And with their new face-recognition software (which they contend is 92% accurate) they are adding names to millions of pictures from picture dump sites, but with the interesting twist of mis-tagging 8% of millions of pictures a day. The most famous one is the picture of "Lindsay Lohan" that it actually a picture of a little girl's knee that looks a tiny bit like a face.

Congress and the Justice Dept have decided that Facebook is too big to take on. So they are trying to chip around the edges by keeping people like employers from demanding your password. What they do not tell you is that HR software like PeopleSoft have "back-doors" into Facebook that allow them to search and examine accounts without a password. This includes all past posts and pictures, even if they were supposedly deleted.

And especially for Viners --- NewsVine is a good example of another Facebook threat. EVERY post, along with your name, IP address, etc are all passed torough Facebook anbd recorded. The little check box says nothing to indicate that every post on NewsVine becomes a permanent piece of Facebook's massive database on YOU! This is generally called "cyber-squatting."

Just think about that childish racist remark you made about Obama, or that post running down GW Bush. Does it make you feel good to know that Facebook has a copy of that post that could be available to every prospective employer or investigator for the rest of your life? The Zimmerman guy will be dealing with posts he made on a MySpace account that he closed years ago. And law journals are indicating that Facebook posts are being used as evidence in almost 80% of contested divorce cases, including GPS data from cell phones that has been recorded on Facebook.

The comment may be read in its entirety here, made by "Chris-749391". I found this incredibly compelling, as I knew I personally didn't trust the site, however, I wasn't aware of anyone conducting an experiment on-par with what this guy did.

Anyone conduct a similar experiment, or know of any odd situations they suspect FB had a hand in creating? Is anyone at ATS still on FB?

Scary as hell, but unsurprising. Social networking always seemed like an exceedingly bad idea to me. I've never had a MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or any of those things. I'm really glad I don't after reading this. But I've never particulary needed a spotlight for my mediocrity.

not on facebook or twitter, nor have i bought a smart phone...i phones have a patent on a silent listening app for their phones even when it's turned off

I did it with an ebay account.

Opened an account with an email I created that I never used. I had that email for a few months and it never got any mail.

Then I joined eBay with it...nothing....then I used it to post on the community forums there, and I started getting a lot of spam.

I suspect that certain functions of certain sites are outsourced overseas, where a list of email addresses can probably be sold for more than a few months wages.

I did know how did their community stuff, but I can't recall, it was a company though that was primarily interested in social metrics - IE determining the most influential members, stuff like that. This happened a few months after eBay outsourced to them.

Originally posted by Malynn
Scary as hell, but unsurprising. Social networking always seemed like an exceedingly bad idea to me. I've never had a MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, or any of those things. I'm really glad I don't after reading this. But I've never particulary needed a spotlight for my mediocrity.

well put...i feel the same way...i think the best social networking is to actually go out and meet people face to face...but i feel i'm becoming a luddite with that notion. besides, with one or two glasses of wine, it's apparent how sterile, a keyboard and monitor have become.

I do not trust nor do I use Facebook. However, Chris does not seem to have a good understanding of how browser cookies work. The quoted text below is entirely incorrect.

One is a "session" cookie that actively tracks your browser keystrokes anytime you are on the internet, even if you are not signed on to Facebook. The other is a "persistent" cookie that is active whenever your computer is turned on. This cookie "browses" your hard drive.

On a brand new computer I signed up on Facebook with a completely phony name and profile. (This is not illegal in two states with more pending as Facebook bribes state legislators.)

Has it ever been illegal? How could it be illegal?

I get that you cant make a George Clooney account and load it up with all sorts of slanderous and libel stuff.

But somewhere it's technically against the law to sign up as Fakie McFake of 123 Fake Street?

All this time I thought only rubes and fools put real factual information into online profiles.

I still use facebook as my real self. Hiding in plain sight.

The story is pretty much misleading or a scare tactic.

Browser cookies dont "browse" your computer.

I think its pretty much the guy offered himself when he posts on FB. Single search and guess what, you're on _TV_ err internet. All your doing is cached and kept and readily available for usage. Just type your username on google and see how many hits you got.

I dont own FB account but I'm not new to computers or internet either.
knowledge is power, wisdom is how you will use the power.

FB is for sheeple, the wise use public phone or snail mail.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

On a brand new computer I signed up on Facebook with a completely phony name and profile. (This is not illegal in two states with more pending as Facebook bribes state legislators.)

Has it ever been illegal? How could it be illegal?

I get that you cant make a George Clooney account and load it up with all sorts of slanderous and libel stuff.

But somewhere it's technically against the law to sign up as Fakie McFake of 123 Fake Street?

All this time I thought only rubes and fools put real factual information into online profiles.

I was curious about the same thing, and found that the commenter had meant to state "This is NOW illegal in two states". Apparently, Zuckerberg is attempting to sway the remaining 48 opinions on the topic so that it is law in every state to sign up with your real name and contact information.

In doing that research, I found Zuckerberg's information on rolling out his organ donation app. If that doesn't send a buzz and chill up the spine then congratulations on being the robot reading this.

ETA a quote from the article linked above:

"Why would medical companies choose to acquire this information when they could also, in the same vein, access it through the DMV?" asked Fortis Imago.

I do too. I have my facebook page that keeps me in touch with family, friends, old school acquaintances. I haven't had any issues from it (cept one time I posted when I was very ill and work wouldn't find me a replacement after I asked everyone i knew there to cover for me and no one could. So I had to go make food with the flu and answer the phone with laryngitis. so I got fired for that; learned to never mention work by name ever again once I find work xD)

But yeah, it's fine if you use it to keep in touch with folks you can't just hop in the car or walk to and see. The only things I keep private are obvious things like screennames and my phone number. I've never gotten calls from telemarketers about anything.

Originally posted by AnonymousCitizen
I do not trust nor do I use Facebook. However, Chris does not seem to have a good understanding of how browser cookies work. The quoted text below is entirely incorrect.

One is a "session" cookie that actively tracks your browser keystrokes anytime you are on the internet, even if you are not signed on to Facebook. The other is a "persistent" cookie that is active whenever your computer is turned on. This cookie "browses" your hard drive.

AC,
Please educate us about what's wrong with this information. I don't believe that, in the event it's wrong, it would discredit the story, however, I'd appreciate some enlightenment on the topic.

reply to post by sarra1833


You're far more trusting than I Sarra - I hope ATS doesn't corrupt you! My concern, as I had originally used it for purposes similar to yours, was their 92% accuracy in facial recognition. I didn't want my face erroneously mapped to a face in a crowd deemed terroristic, like say, a Ron Paul rally. It isn't today's technological capacities that are as alarming as tomorrow's. A techno-geek will make an airtight frame job impossible to detect in the not-so-distant future. "You're saying there's no way we have you on CCTV robbing that jeweler? Well have a look at this... We can even see you "checked in" to the store on your FB page!". I just hope my imagination is more wild than the people.

reply to post by jimmyx

The sad part is that that's not all, not even close. I cannot do it justice by writing about it in the limited time I got now, it is an outrage.. despicable.

Basically corporations are selling services to governments around the world for mass surveilance, internet, sms monitoring, complete control of smartphone including camera and microphone even when in standby mode, silent remote installation without user knowledge after company is paid for the service.. Trojan on computers to see in real time what is being done on computer.

Free apps often contain malicious code, especially on Android phones.. And now the corrupt government want's the immense Facebook and Google database which they will access to through CISPA as long as it is done "in the name of cybersecurity".. which of course also allows them to censor the internet.

Here's more info:
http://__._/The-Spyfiles-The-Map.html
www.thebureauinvestigates.com...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com...
http://__._/the-spyfiles.html

And here's more general info on the subject:
www.privacyinternational.org...
theintelhub.com...
endthelie.com...
www.privacyinternational.org...

Add that to these and we are truly in an Orwellian world:
www.wired.com...
endthelie.com...

Ron Paul on CISPA:
www.youtube.com...