Facebook and Phone Numbers

Headhuunter

So I'm not exactly an IT whizz but what is all this about FB now being able to grab phone numbers from the address book on your phone? Is it possible? I just checked my contact list thing in FB and sure enough everyone's mobile is listed there.... More importantly, how do I unsync my Nokia X6 and stop FB being able to get to my contacts?

dcurzon

its no big deal, its only you that are able to see them. Try clicking on one of your friends profiles and see if you can see they're friends contacts...

daviesee

I got a post from my wife saying similar but I don't follow.
It must be a setting somewhere because it certainly hasn't happened on mine.
The only numbers that I can see, and it's only a handful, are people who I presume to have added their numbers in their profile.

Another option however is if you click on a lot of Facebook links then you are opening yourself up to a whole world of hurt. No one knows whats contained withih these links.
Anything starting with "OMG" for example instantly sets off my paranoid alarm.

Redhog14

tired of how this FB thing seems to be so pervasive- I have deliberately avoied it for 2 months with no noticable drop in quality of life...Just deleted my account.

dhope

It isn't that facebook takes your numbers, it's a client side thing, the numbers don't get copied over to FB.

Ben6899

It's bullshit. The only numbers I can see are those of friends who have entered their details on Facebook. So I can't see my mum or dad's number. Or my girlfriend's. I can see some fella's number who I know from years and years ago and his number is not in my phone.

Mass hysteria.

whitebait01

dhope wrote:

It isn't that facebook takes your numbers, it's a client side thing, the numbers don't get copied over to FB.

They do appear to be held on FB. Go to Account - Edit Friends - Contacts.

They're not visible to anyone but yourself (and facebook) but I still don't like the idea of FB having a full list of my contacts. Especially since I never ticked the sync contacts with FB box on my blackberry. I've asked them to delete them all, but I don't like the idea that they'll sit on a server somewhere until it gets hacked or FB go for world domination or something.

Ben6899

They're held on FB because the users themselves have authorised this to be the case. It has nothing to do with your phone contacts.

Headhuunter

OK I've spoken to a friend who knows more about this and it's true, FB can actually collect numbers from your phone.

Most smart phones are able to create a digital imprint of people you enter to your address book, they will collect info from Twitter and email accuonts you have synced in with your phone. Then if you download the FB application to your phone it asks you (I don't remember it doing this) if it should sync in, if you say "yes" it sucks up the digital imprints your smart phone has created for everyone and sticks it in FB.

You can then ask for it to be deleted (Account - Edit Friends - Contacts, then ask for it to remove info), however apparently FB has no obligation to delete this info and may be able to use it for marketing. The problem is there is very little you can do about it apparently as even if you unsync your phone, someone somewhere will have a smart phone with all your info on it (friends, relatives etc) who may already have unknowingly synced to FB....

Certainly my mob number is now on FB and have NEVER, EVER put it on FB myself....

whitebait01

Ben6899 wrote:

They're held on FB because the users themselves have authorised this to be the case. It has nothing to do with your phone contacts.

Yes it does. Under my contacts list they have my local indian takeaway and my bosses work number amongst other things. Obviously I'm not friends with either of them on FB. They've taken my entire contacts list without consent. I've checked and I had sync contacts unticked.

SimonAH

I do not book my face. Bloody dangerous practice I reckon.

Headhuunter

whitebait01 wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

They're held on FB because the users themselves have authorised this to be the case. It has nothing to do with your phone contacts.

Yes it does. Under my contacts list they have my local indian takeaway and my bosses work number amongst other things. Obviously I'm not friends with either of them on FB. They've taken my entire contacts list without consent. I've checked and I had sync contacts unticked.

However they only attach themselves to contacts in YOUR facebook so other people shouldn't be able to see them, however FB also has that info and is under no obligation to get rid of it... I resent them having my number, email addresses etc and possibly selling them onto 3rd parties....

Headhuunter

Redhog14 wrote:

tired of how this FB thing seems to be so pervasive- I have deliberately avoied it for 2 months with no noticable drop in quality of life...Just deleted my account.

Good luck deleting it, I had a friend who tried to do that and didn't seem to be able to. He removed all info and deleted photos etc, but his record remained, albeit as an empty shell...

whitebait01

Headhuunter wrote:

whitebait01 wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

They're held on FB because the users themselves have authorised this to be the case. It has nothing to do with your phone contacts.

Yes it does. Under my contacts list they have my local indian takeaway and my bosses work number amongst other things. Obviously I'm not friends with either of them on FB. They've taken my entire contacts list without consent. I've checked and I had sync contacts unticked.

However they only attach themselves to contacts in YOUR facebook so other people shouldn't be able to see them, however FB also has that info and is under no obligation to get rid of it... I resent them having my number, email addresses etc and possibly selling them onto 3rd parties....

Yeah, I understand it's only visible to me and FB, but I'd rather it was just me. There's some info I don't mind putting on FB and there's some I do, which is why my phone number isn't on there.

shm_uk

FaceBook ?

Meh. Old hat.

Paul E

I use friendface now much better

dhope

Headhuunter wrote:

OK I've spoken to a friend who knows more about this and it's true, FB can actually collect numbers from your phone.

Most smart phones are able to create a digital imprint of people you enter to your address book, they will collect info from Twitter and email accuonts you have synced in with your phone. Then if you download the FB application to your phone it asks you (I don't remember it doing this) if it should sync in, if you say "yes" it sucks up the digital imprints your smart phone has created for everyone and sticks it in FB.

You can then ask for it to be deleted (Account - Edit Friends - Contacts, then ask for it to remove info), however apparently FB has no obligation to delete this info and may be able to use it for marketing. The problem is there is very little you can do about it apparently as even if you unsync your phone, someone somewhere will have a smart phone with all your info on it (friends, relatives etc) who may already have unknowingly synced to FB....

Certainly my mob number is now on FB and have NEVER, EVER put it on FB myself....

To clarify a bit. Facebook doesn't *collect*.

Android and iOS provide an API that gives any application the ability to query your contacts. How the API works is down to Android or iOS. Apps will only be able to work within the constraints of the underlying OS, so Facebook will be asking iOS for access to the contacts and iOS will (should) be asking you.
Same as when you go to a website and the iPhone pops something up saying, "Google would like to use your current location. Ok/Cancel?"

The Facebook app asks whether you'd like to sync contacts. If you say yes then it syncs them. If you say no it doesn't. It doesn't do anything automatically.
I agreed to a limited sync which copies extra FB details into my iPhone contacts, it doesn't copy any iPhone contact details into FB because I didn't tell it to.

WTF is a 'digital imprint'. This isn't Minority Report it's just another app

Ben6899

So if you have a smart phone AND choose to sync, the details will appear. I suppose if you court trouble, then one day you might be brought together in matrimony.

Too many people don't really think about what they're doing with this kind of thing.

dhope

Ben6899 wrote:

So if you have a smart phone AND choose to sync, the details will appear. I suppose if you court trouble, then one day you might be brought together in matrimony.

Too many people don't really think about what they're doing with this kind of thing.

Yep, if you choose to buy something that can sync and then choose to sync then it will sync.

Too many people really don't think.

Sure, I'll sign the loan papers without reading the small print.
Sure, I'll click okay to sync without understanding what it might do.

Headhuunter

dhope wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

OK I've spoken to a friend who knows more about this and it's true, FB can actually collect numbers from your phone.

Most smart phones are able to create a digital imprint of people you enter to your address book, they will collect info from Twitter and email accuonts you have synced in with your phone. Then if you download the FB application to your phone it asks you (I don't remember it doing this) if it should sync in, if you say "yes" it sucks up the digital imprints your smart phone has created for everyone and sticks it in FB.

You can then ask for it to be deleted (Account - Edit Friends - Contacts, then ask for it to remove info), however apparently FB has no obligation to delete this info and may be able to use it for marketing. The problem is there is very little you can do about it apparently as even if you unsync your phone, someone somewhere will have a smart phone with all your info on it (friends, relatives etc) who may already have unknowingly synced to FB....

Certainly my mob number is now on FB and have NEVER, EVER put it on FB myself....

To clarify a bit. Facebook doesn't *collect*.

Android and iOS provide an API that gives any application the ability to query your contacts. How the API works is down to Android or iOS. Apps will only be able to work within the constraints of the underlying OS, so Facebook will be asking iOS for access to the contacts and iOS will (should) be asking you.
Same as when you go to a website and the iPhone pops something up saying, "Google would like to use your current location. Ok/Cancel?"

The Facebook app asks whether you'd like to sync contacts. If you say yes then it syncs them. If you say no it doesn't. It doesn't do anything automatically.
I agreed to a limited sync which copies extra FB details into my iPhone contacts, it doesn't copy any iPhone contact details into FB because I didn't tell it to.

WTF is a 'digital imprint'. This isn't Minority Report it's just another app

I just don't think that people know what they are saying "yes" to when FB asks if it should sync. OK "digital imprint" is my made up expression, I was just trying to express what I have been told that phones are able to "tally" information from a variety of sources like email accounts and Twitter already on the phone and then FB is able to pull all that info together onto FB if you agree to sync...

Headhuunter

dhope wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

So if you have a smart phone AND choose to sync, the details will appear. I suppose if you court trouble, then one day you might be brought together in matrimony.

Too many people don't really think about what they're doing with this kind of thing.

Yep, if you choose to buy something that can sync and then choose to sync then it will sync.

Too many people really don't think.

Sure, I'll sign the loan papers without reading the small print.
Sure, I'll click okay to sync without understanding what it might do.

The thing is, when you sign a loan agreement, the small print is there, if you choose not to read then that's your look out, however when your new phone which you don't completely understand yet simply asks "shall I sync?"... You don't necessarily stop and try to find someone who can tell you what that means. You may not even know anyone who can tell you what that means!

Ben6899

Headhuunter wrote:

dhope wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

So if you have a smart phone AND choose to sync, the details will appear. I suppose if you court trouble, then one day you might be brought together in matrimony.

Too many people don't really think about what they're doing with this kind of thing.

Yep, if you choose to buy something that can sync and then choose to sync then it will sync.

Too many people really don't think.

Sure, I'll sign the loan papers without reading the small print.
Sure, I'll click okay to sync without understanding what it might do.

The thing is, when you sign a loan agreement, the small print is there, if you choose not to read then that's your look out, however when your new phone which you don't completely understand yet simply asks "shall I sync?"... You don't necessarily stop and try to find someone who can tell you what that means. You may not even know anyone who can tell you what that means!

So you click "No". Surely?

My girlfriend has an iphone and I often hear her shout "No, just fuck off!" as it's asking her to share location, sync etc. She'll be the first to admit that she isn't exactly sure what it is asking or even why... so the answer is "No".

nation

SimonAH wrote:

I do not book my face. Bloody dangerous practice I reckon.

I do, but I have the privacy settings set up pretty strictly and even then assume that anything I put there is essentially public.

I also agree with the above regarding your phone asking you to do stuff. Why would you click "yes" if you don't understand what it's asking? If it's something that you genuinely wanted/needed to do you'll know soon enough when you try to do whatever it is that depends on it.

Jay dubbleU

SimonAH wrote:

I do not book my face. Bloody dangerous practice I reckon.

+1

Confusedboy

The problem is that, if you don't fully understand what the tech is asking you to do, and it sounds like something positive or beneficial (Do you want to Sync? Yes/No. Well, it sounds like something I should be doing, surely it means that all the information I hold on one device will be available on another one, which will be useful, doesn't it? so, er, ok then, click on.....Yes), then it is human nature to agree to it, even though you have not made an informed decision.

This is, in my opinion, wrong. Sure you need to be careful about what you are agreeing to, but the way tech manufacturers make it so easy to share information that you may not want shared without your full knowledge is irresponsible. You may trust Facebook (I bloody don't) but they are a commercial outfit with interests in selling on information of this sort, and you only have their word for it that they don't. Assuming they are as good as their word, and this is virtually impossible to verify, there is nothing to prevent them from being absorbed into or bought out by another company in the future, and that company may be less scrupulous.

if you ask people to make a choice between yes or no response to almost any question, most of those undecided will answer yes, as it looks the more positve or progressive response. If you present the same choice in the form of 'this choice' or 'that choice', then similarly the undecided chooser will usually go for 'this' one, as it appears to represent the status quo. These are tricks commonly used in marketing and electioneering. A fairer choice would be between 'this' or another 'this', but you will rarely be offered that by anyone who already has a vested interest in your response, and, sadly, you need to be aware of this at all times and in all situaltions. There is, of course, nothing wrong in answering or choosing 'yes' or 'this choice' in these situations, as long as you are aware that someone, somewhere, is trying to pressure or persueade you to do so for thier own ends.

discurio

on the flip side to all of this id like to thank the OP for pointing this out. i had my phone lifted from my pocket at a gig and was devestated i lost the contact details for all the people i have met travelling, friends etc. i now have them all back.

has its uses.

Headhuunter

Ben6899 wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

dhope wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

So if you have a smart phone AND choose to sync, the details will appear. I suppose if you court trouble, then one day you might be brought together in matrimony.

Too many people don't really think about what they're doing with this kind of thing.

Yep, if you choose to buy something that can sync and then choose to sync then it will sync.

Too many people really don't think.

Sure, I'll sign the loan papers without reading the small print.
Sure, I'll click okay to sync without understanding what it might do.

The thing is, when you sign a loan agreement, the small print is there, if you choose not to read then that's your look out, however when your new phone which you don't completely understand yet simply asks "shall I sync?"... You don't necessarily stop and try to find someone who can tell you what that means. You may not even know anyone who can tell you what that means!

So you click "No". Surely?

My girlfriend has an iphone and I often hear her shout "No, just fark off!" as it's asking her to share location, sync etc. She'll be the first to admit that she isn't exactly sure what it is asking or even why... so the answer is "No".

Of course you click "no" if you know what the question entails, but if you have no clue and think that "syncin" is necessary to make FB work then you may click "yes", there's no information and before you know it FB has dredged through your contat details....

Headhuunter

Confusedboy wrote:

The problem is that, if you don't fully understand what the tech is asking you to do, and it sounds like something positive or beneficial (Do you want to Sync? Yes/No. Well, it sounds like something I should be doing, surely it means that all the information I hold on one device will be available on another one, which will be useful, doesn't it? so, er, ok then, click on.....Yes), then it is human nature to agree to it, even though you have not made an informed decision.

This is, in my opinion, wrong. Sure you need to be careful about what you are agreeing to, but the way tech manufacturers make it so easy to share information that you may not want shared without your full knowledge is irresponsible. You may trust Facebook (I bloody don't) but they are a commercial outfit with interests in selling on information of this sort, and you only have their word for it that they don't. Assuming they are as good as their word, and this is virtually impossible to verify, there is nothing to prevent them from being absorbed into or bought out by another company in the future, and that company may be less scrupulous.

if you ask people to make a choice between yes or no response to almost any question, most of those undecided will answer yes, as it looks the more positve or progressive response. If you present the same choice in the form of 'this choice' or 'that choice', then similarly the undecided chooser will usually go for 'this' one, as it appears to represent the status quo. These are tricks commonly used in marketing and electioneering. A fairer choice would be between 'this' or another 'this', but you will rarely be offered that by anyone who already has a vested interest in your response, and, sadly, you need to be aware of this at all times and in all situaltions. There is, of course, nothing wrong in answering or choosing 'yes' or 'this choice' in these situations, as long as you are aware that someone, somewhere, is trying to pressure or persueade you to do so for thier own ends.

EXACTLY! There is no information to make an informed choice and FB is relying on people making an uninformed choice believing they need to "sync" to ge the phone to do what it's supposed to en then hey presto, FB has a load of marketable information for nada....

dhope

Headhuunter wrote:

EXACTLY! There is no information to make an informed choice and FB is relying on people making an uninformed choice believing they need to "sync" to ge the phone to do what it's supposed to en then hey presto, FB has a load of marketable information for nada....

Hmm, if it gives you a choice then it's not critical.

Headhuunter

dhope wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

EXACTLY! There is no information to make an informed choice and FB is relying on people making an uninformed choice believing they need to "sync" to ge the phone to do what it's supposed to en then hey presto, FB has a load of marketable information for nada....

Hmm, if it gives you a choice then it's not critical.

Yes you might assume that but you just don't necessarily know...

M-A-S

If you have synced your Android or iPhone with facebook it stores your contacts numbers. If you want to delete this info turn contact syncing on your device off then go to the link below and delete!

Easy!

https://www.facebook.com/contact_importer/remove_uploads.php?r=%2Fphonebook[url][/url]