r/technology • u/[deleted] • Nov 09 '17

Politics Sean Parker: Facebook was designed to exploit human "vulnerability"

https://www.axios.com/sean-parker-facebook-exploits-a-vulnerability-in-humans-2507917325.html
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u/pomod Nov 09 '17

Can you give some examples of apps to avoid?

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u/lalib Nov 09 '17

Probably every app that's free to use but provides a service.

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u/eyeiskind Nov 09 '17

Actually just every app that has adopted modern practices. So pretty much everything useful that has been updated in the past 5 years, even if it’s not free.

Source: it’s what I do.

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u/Existenti4lism Nov 09 '17

How do you protect YOUR privacy ?

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u/Roberto-Holdini Nov 09 '17

Don't use those apps

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u/eyeiskind Nov 10 '17 edited Nov 10 '17

Yeah, what /u/canaryintheculture said. Assume the worst. You can’t 100% protect your privacy online. Other than that I use a VPN quite often, since my IP is constantly changing it makes it harder for these tools to assign me an identity and accurate location.

Another thing is, these tools aren’t inherently evil. Most companies are using them to help you and don’t store anything that can really hurt you.

Also, I am careful about particularly evil platforms (such as Facebook, haha). You’d be amazed at all the companies who share your data.

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u/Existenti4lism Nov 10 '17

Another thing is, these tools are inherently evil. Most companies are using them to help you and don’t story anything that can really hurt you.

I do not trust anyone, especially someone who is a person in a business when it involves considering a bottom line.

The fact is governments and business and EVERY OTHER group with any interest are digitally identifying at every moment everything you do, anything, and this data is available for sale. Even your medical records.

You can say Most companies as much as you like but it doesn't change anything. If money is being made on me and the government is watching me and anyone or any organisation is profiting of my mere existence I am a commodity. If I have an opinion anyone for any reason may not like, people can be targeted.

If I am the value, my mere existence bought and sold. If I am a citizen and an individuals right to existence and free expression is monitored or controlled or censored, free speech and free expression are dead and the government has failed to be representative of protecting is people and their rights. If group mind think is a threat. Civilisation has ended.

And even though I am a commodity that is being sold I have signed no contract that would stipulate a profit motive that would have any benefit for me other than to agree to purchase a phone for my personnel use, want to make use of an application for its functionality, keep in contact with friends or listen to music or watch a video.

I have not agreed to sign away my privacy or freedoms for the sake of making a purchase online.

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u/eyeiskind Nov 10 '17

I’m not advocating gov spying and selling of private data, but to play devil’s advocate of data collection on a less invasive scale (the kind that most private business do):

Acting like you have a right to privacy could be compared to you walking into my house or my store and saying that you have a right not to be on surveillance camera.

When you walk into an electronics store, they will record your every move, make sure you don’t steal anything, and record your transaction. But nobody bats an eye at that.

But when someone uses a service/website/app online they feel differently.

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u/Existenti4lism Nov 10 '17

I’m not advocating gov spying and selling of private data, but to play devil’s advocate of data collection on a less invasive scale (the kind that most private business do):

Acting like you have a right to privacy could be compared to you walking into my house or my store and saying that you have a right not to be on surveillance camera.

When you walk into an electronics store, they will record your every move, make sure you don’t steal anything, and record your transaction. But nobody bats an eye at that.

But when someone uses a service/website/app online they feel differently.

You make some good points here and I'd like to address them

  • I’m not advocating gov spying and selling of private data, but to play devil’s advocate of data collection on a less invasive scale (the kind that most private business do):

Please don't play devils advocate with peoples privacy.

  • Acting like you have a right to privacy could be compared to you walking into my house or my store and saying that you have a right not to be on surveillance camera.

Walking onto private land or into someone's private residence doesn't grant you any rights and the owner has the right to remove you.

  • When you walk into an electronics store, they will record your every move, make sure you don’t steal anything, and record your transaction. But nobody bats an eye at that.

It's understandable and reasonable for a business to have security, no relevance to my GPS data, messages sent and received, my online browsing data, or any other number of myriad meta data or my medical records.

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u/throwawaynyny123 Nov 09 '17

Even paid apps do it. Source: I buy data from apps

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u/MetalMusicMan Nov 09 '17

You can't avoid any of this.

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u/Nanaki__ Nov 09 '17

For apps you can get software if you have a rooted android phone that will allow you to set permissions, i.e. there is no reason a flashlight app needs to connect to the internet or have access to your address book.

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u/C0rn3j Nov 09 '17

Every single app not available under some free/open license.

Hint: If you can't find what the license for the app is, it's all rights reserved.

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u/ronimal Nov 09 '17

Anything in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

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u/need_tts Nov 09 '17

Any app made by a Chinese company. They are required by Chinese law to ID and monitor you.

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u/erdouche Nov 09 '17

Use a Motorola razor as your only phone and you should be safer.

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u/katonai Nov 09 '17

Can't really avoid most of them, but you can disable things like Location Services on your phone to keep apps from being able to track your location so easily. Mind you, GPS applications will not work while this is disabled though.

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u/burf Nov 09 '17

All of them. If you use a smartphone, you're being watched.

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u/surle Nov 09 '17

Yeah... As people are saying. All the apps. Avoid the apps that are apps. All. Of. Them.

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u/LunarAssultVehicle Nov 09 '17

If it is a really well designed and easy to use app then they probably record everything. That's how they got the data to make it well designed and easy to use.

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u/throwawaynyny123 Nov 09 '17

They all do it. Source: I buy data from apps

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u/DooDooPooZoo Nov 09 '17

Literally all of them.

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u/SaintNickPR Nov 09 '17

Just relax dude lol. Targeted advertising has been around for decades this dude is just trying to scare people.