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Thread ID: 116088 2011-02-16 05:14:00 FaceBook's poor ethics: how does FB know my email contacts? BJay (13674) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1178815 2011-02-16 05:14:00 I use GMail. A neighbour asked me (via FB) to join FB. (And no doubt to befriend her.)

I have taken no action.

But now I am getting reminders from FB listing some people (six today) who are
(a) FB users and
(b) persons with whom I have had past email (gMail) contact,
suggesting that I might sign up in order to FB with them.

QUESTION: How does FB get this information?

I cannot see how FB can suggest these names to me unless it is able to read my gmail contact list and cross-match to other's contacts.

I am not at all happy with this.
BJay (13674)
1178816 2011-02-16 05:46:00 I don't know but I set up a filter in Gmail and I don't see those requests anymore they go straight to trash, I refuse to join the stalker brigade gary67 (56)
1178817 2011-02-16 07:06:00 Thanks indeed.
But I am not so worried about the requests to be a friend to to join - like you I can ignore those easily or filter them.

What concerns me more is "How the hell does Facebook quote 'possible friends' because they are in MY gmail system??" Or am I paranoid?
BJay (13674)
1178818 2011-02-16 07:45:00 What concerns me more is "How the hell does Facebook quote 'possible friends' because they are in MY gmail system??" Or am I paranoid?They most likely learned them from your existing friends who already use Facebook. They have such a large membership base that they can predict with reasonable accuracy who you are likely to know, even though you're not a member and haven't shared any data with them.

Facebook will *not* be using your GMail account without your authorisation.
Erayd (23)
1178819 2011-02-16 08:22:00 What's most likely happened is that the people you've had contact with have "imported" their Gmail contacts into Facebook (and since you've had email dialogue with them, you're on their list of contacts). That's how Facebook would have got your email address. somebody (208)
1178820 2011-02-16 19:51:00 Aha! No criminality.

Just foolish disregard for privacy by them.
Hmmmph to them and THANKS to you.
BJay (13674)
1178821 2011-02-16 20:10:00 I've been getting similar requests from people I don't know, so off to the trash they go :D

Smells like phish to me.
autechre (266)
1178822 2011-02-16 21:30:00 ...have "imported" their Gmail contacts into Facebook...

That is a terrible idea. This shouldn't need mentioning, but you should never provide your login credentials to any site other than the one they are registered for.

I know linkedin ask for your gmail/hotmail/yahoo address and password so they can import your contacts.

Can they be trusted with your contact details?
utopian201 (6245)
1178823 2011-02-17 00:03:00 I used to use FB (horrible thing) and what it has is a part that says "invite friends" and you can enter in an email address there - it then emails that with an invite thing, saying so-and-so wants you to join, maybe that's what you got from your neighbour?

I would say you either got contacted through that or - as mentioned - your address is part of a member's contact list, but I didn't think they'd be allowed to spam those... maybe the FB T&C's that we don't bother reading give them permission to do so
Halwende (3418)
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