Your Facebook Data File: Everything You Never Desired Anyone to Know

A group of Austrian students called Europe v. Facebook recently got their forearms on their finish Facebook user data files – note, this is not the same file Facebook sends if you request your private history through the webform in Account Settings.

See, Facebook wants you to feel safe and warm and fuzzy about controlling your own privacy. As we budge into the era of the Open Graph and apps that autopost your activities, users are raising serious questions about data collection and privacy.

To help quell these fears, Facebook lets users download their their own data, as they said in an official statement to the Wall Street Journal blog Digits:

“We believe that every Facebook user wields his or her own data and should have plain and effortless access to it. That is why we’ve built an effortless way for people to download everything they have ever posted on Facebook, including all of their messages, posts, photos, status updates and profile information. People who want a copy of the information they have put on Facebook can click a link located in ‘Account Settings’ and lightly get a copy of all of it in a single download. To protect the information, this feature is only available after the person confirms his or her password and answers suitable security questions.”

Phew, that’s good. But wait… how come the students over at Europe v. Facebook got a different, more finish file when requested through Section four DPA + Art. Twelve Directive 95/46/EG, a European privacy law? The cautiously crafted statement above says they will give you access to everything you’ve put on Facebook – but what about the data Facebook collects without your skill?

What You May Not Get in Your Copy of Your Facebook File

On their website, Europe v. Facebook lists their primary objective as transparency, telling, “It is almost unlikely for the user to truly know what happens to his or her private data when using facebook. For example ‘eliminated’ content is not indeed deleted by Facebook and it is often unclear what Facebook exactly does with our data.”

Indeed, the finish user file they received when requested through Section four DPA + Art. Twelve Directive 95/46/EG is the same one available to attorneys and law enforcement via court order. It contains more information than the one Facebook sends users through their webform, according to Europe v. Facebook founder and law student Max Schrems, including:

• Every friend request you’ve ever received and how you responded.
• Every poke you’ve exchanged.
• Every event you’ve been invited to through Facebook and how you responded.
• The IP address used each and every time you’ve logged in to Facebook.
• Dates of user name switches and historical privacy settings switches.
• Camera metadata including time stamps and latitude/longitude of picture location, as well as tags from photos – even if you’ve untagged yourself.
• Credit card information, if you’ve ever purchased credits or advertising on Facebook.
• Your last known physical location, with latitude, longitude, time/date, altitude, and more. The report notes that they are unassured how Facebook collects this data.

One of Europe v. Facebook’s chief protestations is that Facebook offers “no sufficient way of deleting old junk data.” Many of the complaints they’ve filed with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner* involve Facebook’s continued storage of data users believe they have deleted. Copies of the redacted files received through their requests are published on the Europe v. Facebook website.

Better Hope You’ve Behaved Yourself…

Ever flirted with someone other than your spouse in a Facebook talk? You had better hope your message records don’t end up in the arms of a divorce lawyer, because they can access even the ones you’ve deleted.

That day you called your employer in Chicago and begged off work, as you were sick? You logged in to Facebook from an IP address in Miami. Oops.

A few weeks ago, Australian hacker exposed Facebook’s practice of tracking logged out users and they quickly “immobilized” the problem (after attempting to defend it, primarily). But the extent to which they collect and keep information users may not even realize they are providing Facebook in the very first place – or believe they’ve deleted – is worrisome for privacy watchdogs.

The truly questionable thing is, the average user has no idea what their file contains and in North America, at least, have no right to access it. ITWorld’s Dan Tynan requested his, citing the U.S. Constitution, but received only an autoresponse telling him the form is only applicable in certain jurisdictions. In other words, if they’re not required to release your data to you by law, don’t hold your breath.

But then, maybe you’ll be one of the “fortunate” ones who will have your activities brought up in court or a police investigation. There will be little left to the imagination, then.

Your Facebook Data File: Everything You Never Wished Anyone to Know, Search Engine Observe

Your Facebook Data File: Everything You Never Desired Anyone to Know

A group of Austrian students called Europe v. Facebook recently got their arms on their accomplish Facebook user data files – note, this is not the same file Facebook sends if you request your private history through the webform in Account Settings.

See, Facebook wants you to feel safe and warm and fuzzy about controlling your own privacy. As we stir into the era of the Open Graph and apps that autopost your activities, users are raising serious questions about data collection and privacy.

To help quell these fears, Facebook lets users download their their own data, as they said in an official statement to the Wall Street Journal blog Digits:

“We believe that every Facebook user wields his or her own data and should have ordinary and effortless access to it. That is why we’ve built an effortless way for people to download everything they have ever posted on Facebook, including all of their messages, posts, photos, status updates and profile information. People who want a copy of the information they have put on Facebook can click a link located in ‘Account Settings’ and lightly get a copy of all of it in a single download. To protect the information, this feature is only available after the person confirms his or her password and answers adequate security questions.”

Phew, that’s good. But wait… how come the students over at Europe v. Facebook got a different, more accomplish file when requested through Section four DPA + Art. Twelve Directive 95/46/EG, a European privacy law? The cautiously crafted statement above says they will give you access to everything you’ve put on Facebook – but what about the data Facebook collects without your skill?

What You May Not Get in Your Copy of Your Facebook File

On their website, Europe v. Facebook lists their primary objective as transparency, telling, “It is almost unlikely for the user to truly know what happens to his or her individual data when using facebook. For example ‘liquidated’ content is not indeed deleted by Facebook and it is often unclear what Facebook exactly does with our data.”

Indeed, the accomplish user file they received when requested through Section four DPA + Art. Twelve Directive 95/46/EG is the same one available to attorneys and law enforcement via court order. It contains more information than the one Facebook sends users through their webform, according to Europe v. Facebook founder and law student Max Schrems, including:

• Every friend request you’ve ever received and how you responded.
• Every poke you’ve exchanged.
• Every event you’ve been invited to through Facebook and how you responded.
• The IP address used each and every time you’ve logged in to Facebook.
• Dates of user name switches and historical privacy settings switches.
• Camera metadata including time stamps and latitude/longitude of picture location, as well as tags from photos – even if you’ve untagged yourself.
• Credit card information, if you’ve ever purchased credits or advertising on Facebook.
• Your last known physical location, with latitude, longitude, time/date, altitude, and more. The report notes that they are hesitant how Facebook collects this data.

One of Europe v. Facebook’s chief protestations is that Facebook offers “no sufficient way of deleting old junk data.” Many of the complaints they’ve filed with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner* involve Facebook’s continued storage of data users believe they have deleted. Copies of the redacted files received through their requests are published on the Europe v. Facebook website.

Better Hope You’ve Behaved Yourself…

Ever flirted with someone other than your spouse in a Facebook talk? You had better hope your message records don’t end up in the palms of a divorce lawyer, because they can access even the ones you’ve deleted.

That day you called your employer in Chicago and begged off work, as you were sick? You logged in to Facebook from an IP address in Miami. Oops.

A few weeks ago, Australian hacker exposed Facebook’s practice of tracking logged out users and they quickly “immovable” the problem (after attempting to defend it, primarily). But the extent to which they collect and keep information users may not even realize they are providing Facebook in the very first place – or believe they’ve deleted – is worrisome for privacy watchdogs.

The truly questionable thing is, the average user has no idea what their file contains and in North America, at least, have no right to access it. ITWorld’s Dan Tynan requested his, citing the U.S. Constitution, but received only an autoresponse telling him the form is only applicable in certain jurisdictions. In other words, if they’re not required to release your data to you by law, don’t hold your breath.

But then, maybe you’ll be one of the “fortunate” ones who will have your activities brought up in court or a police investigation. There will be little left to the imagination, then.

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