Facebook problems

[Oldjohnw]

Never been on Twitter, long since left fb after only a brief spell there; as mentioned only two whatsapp groups (wife and daughter), left LinkedIn when I retired, but like Instagram. This is the only group I partake in.

[mjr]

I avoid this sort of thing by not using their service. Yep, I am the only person in Western Europe not on Twitbook or Snapagram.

They're still talking about you on there and they companies are tracking you as much as they can.

Dear OP, if the malicious posts are illegal, you can try to interest your local police's cybercrime unit, but they have to be really very bad for them to do anything. It's an even worse situation than traffic policing IMO.

[merseymouth]

Hi all, Always remember with all of the social media mob - "A fool and his data are soon parted!" . TTFN MM

[Pastychomper]

I was the subject of some malicious Faceache posts a few years back and a friend recommended getting a solicitor to write to the perpetrator. Seemed to think a letter alone was effective in most such cases, but whether it's worth it is a question only for the person(s) concerned. My friend got most of his employment by recommendations, so had more incentive than most to spend money protecting his reputation.

As to what Facebook knows about you, I suspect FB already has shadow profiles for most of the non-FBers on this forum, and if anyone has your 'phone number stored on a device they use for Whatsapp then Facebook has your number (it's in Whatsapp's terms and conditions). There are at least three ways to use Whatsapp without passing on one's entire 'phone list, but a lot of its users either don't know or don't care.

[Cugel]

Hi all, Always remember with all of the social media mob - "A fool and his data are soon parted!" . TTFN MM

That's "A fool and his data are soon bartered".

Cugel, just a data point in the vast consumer-producer satanic mill.

[mercalia]

well if i had to use a whatsapp type of thing I would use Viber

https://www.viber.com/

[Mick F]

No smartphone and this forum is the closest I get to social media. At times I get to feel unpleasantly smug.

I have a smart phone, not because of all the apps and all the social media stuff, but because it's easier to text and stay in contact with one with data allowances and wifi etc. Looking up stuff on Google is good if required, and I confess to having the Wetherspoon app for ordering drinks and food without leaving the table near where my bike is leaning outside the door.

I have three forums I frequent.
This one of course! This one is the main one!
The Toyota forum - the Yaris section coz we have a Yaris.
The Garmin Montana forum coz I have one.

Every now and again I'll visit the Garmin.com forum, and I'm a lapsed member of the Fiat Forum coz we had a Fiat500 once.

[ambodach]

There is a local to me Facebook page for local news,sales,wants and chat which I find informative and sometimes useful. Other than that I never use them.

[Psamathe]

....
I avoid this sort of thing by not using their service. Yep, I am the only person in Western Europe not on Twitbook or Snapagram.

Me to except, I did recently have (and use) WhatsApp - in Peru & Bolivia everybody uses it to the point where mobile providers exclude data used by WhatsApp from your GSM data allowances i.e. WhatsApp traffic is unlimited and does not eat into whatever data you've purchased. That said, WhatsApp have no idea who I was, I registered with a local Prepago SIM (and one mobile company had no record of who I was associated with the number) so whatever data they did collect is not associated with me (and it's all deleted out now anyway).

Ian

[Psamathe]

I raise your lack of any social media presence and no smart phone with no social media presence and no phone at all!

But hang on .... is this not social media, right here ..........?

I am Cugel and I am a CUKforum addict. (No others, mind).

I left fb about two years ago following their role in the US election and EU referendum. I have a what's app thingy with my wife and daughter so I can instantly share pics when I am away. I use Instagram for the same reason.

whatsapp is owned and passes data to facebook? maybe transfer to use Vibe?

I've been considering Signal as an alternative (said to be very good on privacy and security). The trouble with all these services is that there is no interoperability. With my EE mobile I can happily call people using Vodaphone mobiles or BT landlines, etc. all plenty of interoperability. But WhatsApp can only talk to other people using WhatsApp, Signal only talk to other signal users. And other "rules" get a bit complex e.g. Skype can talk to other Skype users and some landlines depending on the country, etc. So to be truly "connected" you need loads of these apps and then to remember which ones talk to who under what conditions ... a complete mess.

Ian