Facebook / Cambridge data mining thing

[RooFlyer]

As an avowed non-user of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and all the rest, I must say I feel a bit smug over the current Facebook 'data mining' fiasco, although much of the outrage seems to be that Cambridge Analytics helped the Trump campaign, rather than the data mining itself.

As I understand it, some-one made available a 'personality test' application, which was downloaded by a bunch of people, and certain privacy settings within Facebook allowed data to be collected on the users 'friends', and then all this, about 50 million people, was bought off Facebook by Cambridge Analytics and used by them commercially.

My smugness comes about by thinking "Why is this a surprise to anyone?" Its exactly this type of thing why I choose not to use Facebook etc (that, plus the fact that what you post then belongs to Facebook etc - I like to retain ownership of my life!). The whole concept of Facebook and Google is 'sharing' and taking your information and processing it to do other stuff, so why should it come as a surprise to anyone that their data has been mined?

I'm not having a shot at Facebook users here (some of my best friends are on Facebook # ) - just the principle of this surprise and outrage. Personally, I don't care who knows what about me - I have revealed quite a bit about myself on AFF and usually sign PMs with my first name, at least. My principle is that I choose to release info about myself; I don't wantonly give it out to things like Facebook which is dedicated to 'sharing'.

What do Facebook users think about the data-mining thing?

# Although that's mostly because they have been blackmailed by their interstate kids as the only way they'll keep in touch, get to see photos of grandkids etc. My nephews and nieces all tried it on me ... I said no, and proud parents couldn't resist, so now e-mail pics to me

 

[pauly7]

We work closely with Facebook.

I would never put anything on Facebook that I would not feel comfortable putting in an ad on a billboard on a major highway.

 

[Happy Trails]

... although much of the outrage seems to be that Cambridge Analytics helped the Trump campaign, rather than the data mining itself.

Indeed, it was all smiles when Obama did much the same in 2012.

Obama, Facebook and the power of friendship: the 2012 data election

Barack Obama's re-election team are building a vast digital data operation that for the first time combines a unified database on millions of Americans with the power of Facebook to target individual voters to a degree never achieved before.

 

[opusman]

Indeed, it was all smiles when Obama did much the same in 2012.

Someone addressed this false equivalence on Twitter today:

Cambridge Analytical stole data. Obama’s team did not.
Obama used big data to identify Dems and get out the vote.
CA used big data to push made up stories about Clinton and suppress Dem vote. They lied about her directly to Dem voters and wavering voters.

In other words, they used stolen data to micro manipulate voters in 3 swing states to deliver an electoral college win fro Trump. They didn’t use facts. They used made up stories and delivered the “Crooked Hillary” narrative.

They used the stolen data to deliver a message that Clinton was the single most untrustworthy woman on the planet. It worked. And it wasn’t true. And they didn’t care. They played dirty. So when someone says “But Obama”, no, not “But Obama."

 

[dajop]

Was casually talking about this sort of thing to someone the other day before this story broke. Not surprising that this is happening. What is certain is that democracy as we knew it in the second half of the 20th century is dying.

I wonder, the rise of certain nationalistic factions in Europe in the 1920s and 30s which took arguably a decade or longer to reach its climax, could happen in a matter of a year or two today if enough resources were to be put behind it - primarily using social media as the vehicle to accelerate the shaping of public opinion.

It’s not about Trump or Obama - it’s just the way we as a society are exposed to such blatant manipulation and would not know that it’s happening.

 

[Deleted member]

We work closely with Facebook.

I would never put anything on Facebook that I would not feel comfortable putting in an ad on a billboard on a major highway.

Which for most people leaves it wide open. lol

 

[Deleted member]

Someone addressed this false equivalence on Twitter today:

But probably not a particular person from this site.

 

[drron]

Someone addressed this false equivalence on Twitter today:

Except the stories about Hiliary were from the wikileaks emails from the DNC.
Nobody has denied their accuracy.
It is just they were disseminated via social media rather than left with wikileaks.

 

[Denali]

I love my FB and wont really change too much.

I saw some of the covert footage of the Cambridge people and Im disgusted that they didnt think for a second they were messing with peoples lives, womens and gay rights ect. It was all about the win. Smug coughs to put that vile human stain in the white house. 

 

[Daver6]

Firstly, they didn't steal data as far as I'm aware. People who used the app agreed to share their data. The fact they also gathered data from their friends, mean their friends hadn't locked down their profile and was willing to share the information.

None of this comes as a surprise. I also have no issue with it. Facebook is providing a service. They're not a charity.

 

[opusman]

Except the stories about Hiliary were from the wikileaks emails from the DNC.
Nobody has denied their accuracy.

The stories about her running a child cough ring from a pizzeria? I'm pretty sure those were denied. And yet people believed them.

 

[drron]

The stories about her running a child cough ring from a pizzeria? I'm pretty sure those were denied. And yet people believed them.

Completely swamped by details of Clinton Foundation rorts,pre arranged questions in debates,DNC doing everything to ensure Bernie didn't get the nomination,etc,etc,etc.

 

[opusman]

Space bar broken?