Is Facebook spying on you?

I've noticed that when I use Facebook it keeps an eye on the sites that I use on other websites. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but I see myself logged into Facebook on other sites, I know that the federal government uses Facebook and requests for profiles. Could they be monitoring the sites you use if you stay logged in while using other sites?

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Facebook and Google cookies and trackers see about everything.

Especially while you're logged in.

~Heff

Yeah most websites these days spy on you with cookies. You can clear them aggressively and change your cookie storage settings in your browser to combat it a little bit.

reply to post by Hefficide


I don't think of myself as a paranoid conspiracy theorist, and, I see myself as more of a skeptic of conspiracy theories. But, ever since I did my research project on the Patriot Act for my research design and methods class-- I've been extremely concerned for my privacy and the privacy rights of others and I've been noticing a lot of these other things more and more. Not from a conspiratorial perspective, but, I see it as a reality. I might log out of Facebook when I'm using other sites from now on.

reply to post by scorpiosin


I think I'm fine now. I use the Palemoon browser and it has an option where I can block tracking cookies. I'm going to download an app that blocks tracking cookies so I don't have to worry about being tracked by third parties.

Ok, that seems to have done the trick. I was using another forum and it said that Facebook was watching me post in my topic. That was scary. I didn't know FB was that intrusive. O_o. I'll protect my privacy thank you very much.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


What you should be worried about, is the spies they send. It used to be easy to tell, if a profile was fake, but now these people/bots have jobs, schools, more than one photo and will more than likely have enough mutual friends to boot.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Yeah some of the blocking apps help too. I used to use all that and use proxy sites too back when I was slightly more paranoid. I still am paranoid but now I'm more lazy than paranoid.

Facebook doesn't have to spy, everyone gives them all their pics an info willingly

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I killed my FB account about a week ago. They said it takes 14 days before they'll cancel your account.
One of my friends told me if you log in during the 14 day period then your account is reinstated. I don't know if it's true but it doesn't matter because I don't plan on returning to the site at least not as a member.

It just creeps me out. I didn't use my account very often but when I did visit the site I felt like I was being watched.
They're just too big and have too much info. on too many people for it to be anything but some kind of conspiracy.

It may be safe and secure right now but what happens when the government decides to take over operations. (which they will someday soon.) Get out while you still can is my advice.

All websites do it these days, ATS does it too.

reply to post by scorpiosin


Haha, I used to use proxies a few times. But, I'm more worried Facebook and google watching me on other sites. It's really annoying if I use a site and they think it's automatically ok to track everything I do and potentially sell it to 3rd party websites. It is freaking annoying and I do not like it. I think my internet has even been faster since I blocked 3rd party trackers.



reply to post by cavalryscout


I'm not that paranoid. I'm just annoyed when other websites track where I go. I'm a sane, rational person noticing this. I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

I believe Facebook uses a type of cookie that ordinary cookie-blockers and privacy-enablers aren't able to deal with. As far as I know, and from what I've read and heard, Facebook even tracks you when you're logged out.

Anyway, here's a starting point:

How to Stop Companies From Collecting and Selling Your Facebook Info

Just how much are we worth to these companies? And is there anything we can do about how they get and use our info?

Fixing your privacy settings

The answer to both questions might come from a relatively new tool (released last month) called Privacyfix. It’s a browser plug-in for Firefox and Chrome that analyzes your privacy settings across data-rich social networking sites like Google and Facebook, and any other websites you’ve visited.

When you first install it, you’ll be greeted with a page that tells you what percentage of sites you’ve visited Facebook tracks (for me, 86 percent) and an estimate of how much you’re worth to Facebook per year (just $3.32 here – sorry, Zuckerberg).

Along the right side, you’ll see a number of settings you can “fix,” and each will be explained as you move your cursor over it. These include excluding your Facebook profile from search engine results, blocking your friends from inadvertently sharing your personal information, making your postings private (visible only to friends) by default, and so on. Clicking on any of these will take you step-by-step through the process, explaining why you would want to change the setting and what the potential downside is. You don’t have to “fix” anything you don’t want to, and you can always undo the changes....

And so on.

Personally, I'd advise you to buy into a few more conspiracy theories....

Yes, because the 800 MILLION members of Facebook want to know what YOU are posting!

reply to post by Frankidealist35

I'm not that paranoid. I'm just annoyed when other websites track where I go. I'm a sane, rational person noticing this. I'm not a conspiracy theorist.

Suit yourself, I've heard those FEMA camps are going to be really nice. They're going to provide cots and soup and your very own black coffin.

It's a bit like walking down the street on a rainy day, and when you stop to look back, you see your footprints everywhere... but instead of saying "Ahha I need to dry my shoes!" you say "Damn the government must be following me!"

It makes no sense.

Don't let FB use your credentials for social media plugins on other sites... log out of FB altogether.

People are opting IN to so much and then complaining that there is too much info on them around the place, you only have yourself to blame, really..

If you really don't want to be tracked, you won't. If you're too busy on FB and Twitter and Google+ and txting your mates on your iphone with gps tracking and image locationing, well.. what do you want? Can't have it both ways.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
I believe Facebook uses a type of cookie that ordinary cookie-blockers and privacy-enablers aren't able to deal with. As far as I know, and from what I've read and heard, Facebook even tracks you when you're logged out.

If your cookie is set to “log in automatically”, and you visit a page that has a “Like” or “Share” button, and you *DON’T* click any of those buttons…. Facebook still knows “Joe likes comic books and movies, and visited the website bleedingcool.com on date/time” and saves it into its database. It does this because once that “Like” or “Share” button is *LOADED* when you visit the page, your cookie gets activated, essentially logging you into Facebook, and it sends the message to Facebook along with what website you’re on.

Basically only on Facebook embedded websites, which most blogs have.

But if you log out of facebook and are not set to log in automatically, then you don't get tracked.

yes....

in a word....

DARPA