Republican congressmen are making a big deal of the fact that Twitter engineers have access to user data

[Seymour Flops]

I'm not sure what their point is. Of course the engineers that work on Twitter software have access to personal data of users. How could they not?

Your dental assistant has access to your dental records, your doctor's file clerk has access to your medical records, the janitors at the court house have access to your legal records, if your ex dates the assistant HR manager in your company, they have access to your employment records, etc.

The problem is in the compiling of these vast records in the first place, not in who gets to see them.

Twitter is a private company. Whatever information you give them about yourself, expect that they will do with it what they can profit from and provide it only as much security as they need to be able to avoid having that "product" of your information stolen from them. They don't care if one of their engineers doxes you because you make a political statement on their platform. Not as long as they don't get sued too often for that.

The solution: Stay off social media. Protect your privacy on the internets.

Get the lowest tech cell phones you can and have one at each place you spend time at. Keep one in your car for emergencies but powered down when you're not using it. If you suspect your movements are being tracked, power your car cell phone, take it to a highway rest stop and attach it under a car with out of state plates. That will confuse them.

I don't know, maybe I'm missing something. I'm all ears.

 

[Moonglow]

Yet, Hawley is NOT concerned that the govt. spies on the title of books you check out at the library because of the Patriot Act.

 

[Godboy]

I'm not sure what their point is. Of course the engineers that work on Twitter software have access to personal data of users. How could they not?

Your dental assistant has access to your dental records, your doctor's file clerk has access to your medical records, the janitors at the court house have access to your legal records, if your ex dates the assistant HR manager in your company, they have access to your employment records, etc.

The problem is in the compiling of these vast records in the first place, not in who gets to see them.

Twitter is a private company. Whatever information you give them about yourself, expect that they will do with it what they can profit from and provide it only as much security as they need to be able to avoid having that "product" of your information stolen from them. They don't care if one of their engineers doxes you because you make a political statement on their platform. Not as long as they don't get sued too often for that.

The solution: Stay off social media. Protect your privacy on the internets.

Get the lowest tech cell phones you can and have one at each place you spend time at. Keep one in your car for emergencies but powered down when you're not using it. If you suspect your movements are being tracked, power your car cell phone, take it to a highway rest stop and attach it under a car with out of state plates. That will confuse them.

I don't know, maybe I'm missing something. I'm all ears.

Nah, we dont want to stay off social media. Instead we are going to ban Twitter from collecting and selling our data. You are aware that they can literally track your location, right? They can dox you too because they know your name and address. These people have CIA level access to normal citizens. How long before a stalker uses this kind of info? The truth is, its already being done.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

The solution: Stay off social media. Protect your privacy on the internets.

Or just do not really give a shit and understand how these companies use the data.

They do not care about Seymour or Gator, we are just one of a billion points of data, and that big data is what they care about.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Nah, we dont want to stay off social media. Instead we are going to ban Twitter from collecting and selling our data. You are aware that they can literally track your location, right? They can dox you too because they know your name and address. These people have CIA level access to normal citizens. How long before a stalker uses this kind of info? The truth is, its already being done.

Just for shits and grins, how does Twitter know my name address?

 

[Godboy]

Just for shits and grins, how does Twitter know my name address?

Just for shits and grins? You shouldnt be this confident in something you obviously arent even aware of. Do you have strong opinions on modern brain surgery too?

Here, you uninformed fool... How Twitter employees ratted out user identities to Saudi Arabia

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Just for shits and grins? You shouldnt be this confident in something you obviously arent even aware of. Do you have strong opinions on modern brain surgery too?

Here, you uninformed fool... How Twitter employees ratted out user identities to Saudi Arabia

'Twas a simple question, sorry for the triggering effect it had on you.

But damn, that is a nice watch!

 

[Godboy]

Just for shits and grins, how does Twitter know my name address?

Furthermore, its easy to figure out your address by looking at the IP location. Now im sure your brilliant rebuttel will be "but their location changes because most people use cell phones.", but they know where you are every night when you sleep. They also know about your hardline IP address at your home. Then you just use a reverse phonebook to find their identity, assuming it isnt already in their email. It probably wouldnt be too hard to look up your other accounts at that point, like Facebook, where all kinds of personal information is right there.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Furthermore, its easy to figure out your address by looking at the IP location. Now im sure your brilliant rebuttel will be "but their location changes because most people use cell phones.", but they know where you are every night when you sleep. They also know about your hardline IP address at your home. Then you just use a reverse phonebook to find their identity, assuming it isnt already in their email. It probably wouldnt be too hard to look up your other accounts at that point, like Facebook, where all kinds of personal information is right there.

That all seems very plausible for sure.

Thanks!

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I wonder, do people that are on forums like this one really worry about such things?

People give out all sorts of information on these forums.

 

[ClaireH]

I wonder, do people that are on forums like this one really worry about such things?

People give out all sorts of information on these forums.

It’s one thing (in the fine print) to track your purchases, visited sites, location, and friends list, but iPhone eavesdropping is the pits. Test it out- talk about vacation plans and watch what follows- suddenly ads about that destination. Good grief- talk about desperation lol they must get cutbacks from travel companies and the like.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

It’s one thing (in the fine print) to track your purchases, visited sites, location, and friends list, but iPhone eavesdropping is the pits. Test it out- talk about vacation plans and watch what follows- suddenly ads about that destination. Good grief- talk about desperation lol they must get cutbacks from travel companies and the like.

They sell it all, I am aware of that. But Gator is not getting those ads, Account number 13934933479 is getting them. They do not care about Claire or Gator individually, it is all about the aggregate of the data.

If someone is worried about this the only real answer is to not use any of these sites, including having a smart phone.

Personally, I just do not care.

 

[ClaireH]

They sell it all, I am aware of that. But Gator is not getting those ads, Account number 13934933479 is getting them. They do not care about Claire or Gator individually, it is all about the aggregate of the data.

If someone is worried about this the only real answer is to not use any of these sites, including having a smart phone.

Personally, I just do not care.

I just wish they’d send better vacation tips they have poor taste ha

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I just wish they’d send better vacation tips they have poor taste ha

No doubt. Also terrible taste in home design. We close on a house we are having built on Tuesday and ever since I did the on-line change of address form my email has been flooded with all sorts of spam. I look at it and think "who would by that ugly ass thing"

 

[Seymour Flops]

Or just do not really give a shit and understand how these companies use the data.

They do not care about Seymour or Gator, we are just one of a billion points of data, and that big data is what they care about.

I suppose we could take the "I'm too small to matter" approach. Life would certainly be easier, once we accept that idea and stop trying to turn off the telescreen or whatever. Easy for us and much easier for those who control our information.

We could take that approach to other rights, also. "They don't care about my free speech, they are just banning all Trump supporters," "they don't care about my gun they just confiscated, they just want to reduce the number of firearms," "it wasn't personal when they quartered soldiers in my kids' rooms, they just needed the whole neighborhood for all those new and militarized IRS agents."

Sooner or later, the whole "I, me, my" concept is likely to be eliminated to be replaced with "this person," "this comrade," or whatever.

 

[ClaireH]

I suppose we could take the "I'm too small to matter" approach. Life would certainly be easier, once we accept that idea and stop trying to turn off the telescreen or whatever. Easy for us and much easier for those who control our information.

We could take that approach to other rights, also. "They don't care about my free speech, they are just banning all Trump supporters," "they don't care about my gun they just confiscated, they just want to reduce the number of firearms," "it wasn't personal when they quartered soldiers in my kids' rooms, they just needed the whole neighborhood for all those new and militarized IRS agents."

Sooner or later, the whole "I, me, my" concept is likely to be eliminated to be replaced with "this person," "this comrade," or whatever.

Seymour- can I hire you to be my associate, okay senior associate? Slam dunk with your big picture outcome. I will be repeating your words, not verbatim perhaps but definitely

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I suppose we could take the "I'm too small to matter" approach. Life would certainly be easier, once we accept that idea and stop trying to turn off the telescreen or whatever. Easy for us and much easier for those who control our information.

We could take that approach to other rights, also. "They don't care about my free speech, they are just banning all Trump supporters," "they don't care about my gun they just confiscated, they just want to reduce the number of firearms," "it wasn't personal when they quartered soldiers in my kids' rooms, they just needed the whole neighborhood for all those new and militarized IRS agents."

Sooner or later, the whole "I, me, my" concept is likely to be eliminated to be replaced with "this person," "this comrade," or whatever.

First, it is silly to equate what private companies do with governmental actions, for some reason so many people have trouble with that. Not sure why.

Second, it is not a "I am too small" it is I understand big data, it is my livelihood after all.

Third, FB, Twitter, the Internet, cellphones, this website and so many more things are optional/luxury things we freely choose to use/participate in. We do so knowing what they do with our data. Then it becomes a matter of is it worth it to the individual to use these things knowing the companies that provide them use our data to make money.

There is no comparison to this and the Govt removing rights that our constitution forbids the Govt from taking.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Seymour- can I hire you to be my associate, okay senior associate? Slam dunk with your big picture outcome. I will be repeating your words, not verbatim perhaps but definitely

So, you do not understand the difference between private businesses and the Govt either.

Shocking.

 

[ClaireH]

First, it is silly to equate what private companies do with governmental actions, for some reason so many people have trouble with that. Not sure why.

Second, it is not a "I am too small" it is I understand big data, it is my livelihood after all.

Third, FB, Twitter, the Internet, cellphones, this website and so many more things are optional/luxury things we freely choose to use/participate in. We do so knowing what they do with our data. Then it becomes a matter of is it worth it to the individual to use these things knowing the companies that provide them use our data to make money.

There is no comparison to this and the Govt removing rights that our constitution forbids the Govt from taking.

Do you believe that the American legal system should allow for monopolies?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Do you believe that the American legal system should allow for monopolies?

Yes, as long as they did not break the law getting there.

What is a monopoly but for a truly successful business. Should companies be punished for being to successful.

But I am not sure what that has to do with the current discussion. There are no monopolies on the internet. The internet is basically infinite. Way back in the day "MySpace, was the monopoly that was too big to be taken down. Now it is just about just a memory.

Something will come along and do the same thing to FB and Twitter.