As an iPhone user, what information can Meta get from me using Threads if I were to only view feeds and not post?
As an iPhone user, what information can Meta get from me using Threads if I were to only view feeds and not post?
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Doesn’t matter if you’re using an iPhone or android. They have your number, email, etc. (either given by you or by someone else when they uploaded their contacts to Facebook/instagram/whatsapp) and everything you do is tracked and logged.
That’s the thing about Meta. They gather info from literally billions of people, it doesn’t matter if you personally handed it over or not. Everyone who has your info — name, phone number, email, work number, etc. has probably already shared all or some of it with Meta. The moment you sign up and give them any info at all that matches your info in someone’s contacts, they’ll know it’s you.
If you don’t want them tracking you, your only option is to not use their services and block all their trackers. They’ll have your info anyway, but at least they won’t be able to track your activity.
Edit: a lot of people don’t grasp how bad the situation is with Meta. They trick people into uploading their contacts by requesting access to “help you find your friends” across their services, and they match that info and create a shadow profile for everyone. As soon as you sign up to any of their services, they’ll match that shadow profile to you. That’s why you immediately see people you know even though you just created an account. You’re in their contacts. Facebook has outed countless gay and trans people, as well as sex workers. They will also recommend your therapist’s clients to you as “people you may know” because you all have the therapist’s phone number.
It’s a nightmare. I’ve been trying to make people aware of it for like a decade or something like that. No one listens.
There are so many platforms anymore that I have neither the time nor desire to keep up with even a quarter of them. So maybe eight years back, a friend suggests I check out Snap Chat.
I jump on there to find about 20 pages of names of people who thought it was okay, acceptable, to share my info from their database. I've always been very careful and discreet with mine. But to have it thrown right in my face like that, whew. Here's my message to those folks:
If you think it's okay to share my private number, or anything else I've provided in confidence, with the planet, please delete my number.
RIGHT? It’s fucking insane that no one seems to be talking about this. I’ve been trying for years and people just roll their eyes or ignore me. What the fuck.
And it’s completely because people don’t think about it and/or don’t understand how this stuff works. The app says “share your contacts to find your friends!” and people just go “cool ok”.
Here’s a not-cool story: Facebook showed my friend a photo of her rapist under “people you may know”. Fucking hell.
I get that these aren't tech people. But there's a serious gap in protocol that seems to give them the ol' Whoosh.
If I walked up on the street and asked to see somone's dB? Lol
If a mutual acquaintance asked for your number? I'd call you with their number.
So would these non-techies. But put them on a machine and they seem to lose their minds.
Psst, want me to help you? Just give me your dB. I'll make it easy for ya.
And they think that's okay.
I mean there are people out there who drink their own piss because someone on Facebook said it was healthy. Obviously there’s something about information coming from an official or official-looking (or sounding) source that just makes people do weird things. It’s not any different than people falling for scams, MLMs, alternative medicine, etc.
Edit: omg remember the guy who injected piss into his arm during an interview? lmao
Edit 2: I FOUND IT LMAO
i DoN’t HaVe AnYtHiNg tO HiDe. Every single time.
If I installed the app, and didn’t give permission to location, or photos, or health… they can’t see that info can they?
They don’t need to. They already know where you live, work, etc.
But they can’t see the info that’s stored in your phone, no.
What if I would use an dummy email and refuse to add contacts? Purely to just use the app to view content.
Though, can’t use it anyway. Europe.
Europe? Do you use WhatsApp? If so, your info is already in their hands thanks to your friends/family who shared their contacts with Meta. Basically if you or any of your friends/family use any Facebook service, including WhatsApp and Instagram, they already have all your info.
Say you do sign up for Meta with a dummy email. The moment you start following people, checking out hashtags etc, they will start connecting dots.
It’s virtually impossible to avoid being tracked by them. This is why privacy advocates and activists have been begging people to stop using Meta’s apps and services for literally decades. Not only does it track the user, but also pretty much everyone the user knows, including people who never consented to having their information shared, never used any of their service, etc.
You're only thinking about the surface level of the issue. The tracking rabbit hole goes incredibly deep. There's so much shit happening behind the scenes when you browse the internet that if you could see it all laid out in front of you you would probably gag. It's almost impossible for the average internet user to avoid their tracking methods.
Trick people 🤣
Christ. It's so tired hearing this same old bullshit.
They trick people into uploading their contacts
You can't signup for WhatsApp without giving them access to your contacts