Facebook, social media privacy and Cambridge Analytica

It would appear lots of people are now freaking out about the data they share. Whilst that’s a good thing that people are more privacy aware it’s also a bit late as you’ve been sharing everything for years and those third parties already have your data and revoking access is a bit closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Anyway if you are concerned there are a number of things you can do to reduce the data leakage if you don’t want to delete facebook entirely.

Ad preferences;
This is where you can opt-out of interest based advertising (you will still see ads just not using the data collected to profile you into target segments), you can usually see what segments the company has placed you (based on what you like, sites you visit, other adverts you interact with, location etc). Now you can limit them tracking across the web – however facebook if you want to be able to login with facebook etc you are still letting them track the sites you visit so that’s the convenience trade off. It’s a free service after all and that means you are the product.

Facebook Ad preferences
Google Ad preferences
Twitter Ad preferences
Instagram Ad preference (see Facebook advert preferences)

If you are in the EU you can also use Your Online Choices to opt-out of many advertising networks that track you in a similar way (usually pixels or code snippets on the sites you visit. In North America you have a similar option at Your Ad Choices.

http://www.youronlinechoices.eu
http://youradchoices.com

Sites you are logged in with using some connection (and sharing personal data with);
This is where you can see sites you’ve used the login with Facebook/Twitter/Google/etc. Usually you are sharing public profile information like name and image, other times you are also sharing email address and much more. Some sites ask for friends lists (See the Cambridge Analytica story for why this is bad) and relationship status etc etc. Why do they need this? They don’t. Usually they will suggest it’s so you can invite your friends easily or somethings. Seriously though you can type a name yourself though right?

Facebook login and app data
Google login and app data
Twitter login and app data
Instagram login and app data

Now one thing to consider here is you have already shared this information with the third party. So that quiz you took in 2013 may still have your data even if you remove the access here. When you use facebook or google etc to login always check what data you are sharing and set it to just the bare minimum.

Downloading your data;
In the EU you have a right to see the data a company has about you. Facebook have a tool to allow you to download everything and then browse it easily using your usual browser. It’s cool and worrying when you see all your likes etc in one place.

Facebook data download
Twitter Data
Google allow you to download your data but hey it’s a lot if like me you use photos and gmail.
Instagram I’m not sure if you can yet.

 

Mobile Ad Choices App Debuts | Adweek

The mobile counterpart to the ad industrys ad choices self-regulatory program that allows consumers to opt-out of online-targeted ads is finally here. And yes, theres an app for it.Called Ad Control, the app gives consumers a way to opt out of cross-app advertising. Developed by Evidon, the app is now available in the Apple App Store. An Android version will be available later this month.When the Digital Advertising Alliance announces in two weeks its mobile privacy standards, Evidons app will allow for compliance.The DAA rolled out its ad choices program two years ago in response to growing concerns at the Federal Trade Commission and in the government that consumers needed to be given a choice to opt out of behaviorally targeted ads. Though regulators seem satisfied that the industry is working to protect consumer privacy online through self-regulation, theyve been pressing for a mobile solution, which the industry has been promising to deliver for more than a year.

via Mobile Ad Choices App Debuts | Adweek.

ePrivacy – Google given $7 million Street View fine

I makes a change for North America to be a little more aggressive when it comes to challenging large corporates on privacy goofs than EU countries. France handed down an £87,000 (100,000 euro) penalty which whilst the largest ever handed out by CNIL pales into insignificance compared to our North American cousins. In the UK the ICO was simply not bothered enough and as Nick Pickles, head of UK privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch rightly put it “British regulators barely managed to slap Google on the wrist for this, so yet again British consumers seem to be left with weaker protection of their privacy than other countries,”.

via BBC News – Google hit by $7m Street View fine in US.

» The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy

The key point here is most analytics are used by publishers to show readership numbers, most advertising networks are used as a revenue source and unclicked social widgets are used to promote content.

So is this the death of the web as we know it?

Beta versions of the Firefox browser will limit tracking by ad networks. Safari has long done the same, but Safari desktop market share is about 8%, Firefox has around 20% of the browser share, creating a serious dent in the ability of ad companies to track and therefore monetise consumers.

Without advertising revenues, accurate visitor numbers or promotional opportunities many website would struggle I feel. Anyway read more below and at the original article.

 

“If a user does not seem to have intentionally interacted with your content, or if you’re uncertain, you should ask for permission before setting cookies. Most analytics services, advertising networks, and unclicked social widgets would come within this category.

In sum, working around the policy’s technical limits may be reasonable in certain cases, but undermining the policy’s privacy purpose is never acceptable.”

via » The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy. Also worth reading the Mozilla blog post.

What will happen once the ASA starts to regulate Online Behavioural Advertising? « Privacy and information law blog

Early next year, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (“ASA“) will start regulating Online Behavioural Advertising (“OBA“) in the UK – meaning that online advertisers who serve targeted ads to website visitors will have to worry not only about the risk of cookie consent enforcement by the ICO, but also the risk of investigation and public admonishment by the ASA.  A regulatory double-jeopardy, if you will.

via What will happen once the ASA starts to regulate Online Behavioural Advertising? « Privacy and information law blog.

Amazon’s and Facebook’s Ad Privacy Practices Irk Ad Agencies | Digital – Advertising Age

Two of the biggest publishers on the web don’t use the advertising industry’s standardized ad-privacy program, and it’s a problem for even the largest digital-media buyers.

Facebook and Amazon both offer targeted display advertising that can sometimes incorporate behavioral data from third parties. However, while nearly every other relevant media firm, ad network and ad-data firm either uses the industry’s self-regulatory Ad Choices program or operates one that can be easily integrated with it, Facebook and Amazon do not.

via Amazon’s and Facebook’s Ad Privacy Practices Irk Ad Agencies | Digital – Advertising Age.

Privacy Icon in Facebook Apps as Facebook Itself Opts Out | Digital – Advertising Age

Facebook is not part of the ad industry’s self-regulatory program that notifies consumers about online data collection and ad targeting, but people can find the ubiquitous AdChoices icon on Facebook anyway: in third-party apps.

Facebook was among the top sites that displayed the small blue triangle-shape icon during the past week. But the symbol didn’t show up in display ads sold by Facebook or in the behaviorally-targeted ads served its Facebook Exchange — rather, the symbol appeared in ads served in Facebook apps.

via Privacy Icon in Facebook Apps as Facebook Itself Opts Out | Digital – Advertising Age.

You’re not anonymous. I know your name, email, and company.

Another example of why just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Privacy advocates are already looking to strangle the ad industry. This just adds fuel to the fire. Users don’t even know they need to opt-out of this kind of tracking which leads to media stories and then people blocking all tracking technologies even the benign ones which fund the web.

For example, if [a visitor] went to XYZ.com and filled out a web form and then [the visitor] later visited 42floors.com, [42Floors] would be able to identify [the visitor] by name/email as well as company details even though [the visitor] never filled out a web form on [42Floors.com].

via You’re not anonymous. I know your name, email, and company..

Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net

Networking specialist Sitecom has announced an extension of the security software running on its top-end router models, adding support for the Do Not Track flag to all client devices.

Introduced in the latest version of desktop browsers, and slowly making its way to mobile devices, Do Not Track is a flag which tells sites that the user does not wish to be tracked between visits. Privacy fans claim its an important step in improving the state of the web, while advertisers have decried the technology by claiming it will limit the availability and diversity of Internet content and services for consumers.

via Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net.