Thread by @chetfaliszek

I recently posted about Oculus/Facebook and their data collection. Let me go more in depth and this isn’t just about today this is about the future of XR. At the heart of the matter are these points where their privacy policy and actions differ from other XR companies. 1/many

FB tracks and stores all device movement and location. They also have wording to allow them to track all communication and interaction with their services. They have been caught capturing call and sms data on android phones through their FB app using similar language. 2/

FB doesn’t have a Hardware guy in charge of Oculus Hardware – instead, they have Boz – an ad guy, a data guy who recently made thoughts on your value as a FB user very clear. And if you are still confused, FB isn’t a social media company, it is a data tracking company. 3/

Why care that they track this data? Think the future, not just today. When there are XR apps and devices that you use regularly outside your home. Where natural feature tracking means cameras and microphones strapped to your head recording and saving everything. 4/

Why should you care that Facebook collects all this data?
They have already sold ads excluding POC. So what about the next set of political ads? Sell them only to people who haven’t seen a POC in the last 7 days. Oh, wait they have, let’s change the message…
5/

They have been caught selling anti-Semitic ads. They still allow it. Think how much more targeted they can be. Do you drive by a synagogue regularly but not ever enter? Have you visited a store run by a “Jewish looking man”? Let’s stir up some hate!
6/

They have been caught offering ads towards depressed teens. Not seeing enough smiles in your world? Let’s taunt you, if only you had these new items, then people would smile when they saw you…
7/

Facebook recently sent a survey asking if pedophiles should be able to request photos from underage users on FB. So let’s look at positional data, they are small, let’s look at visual, they are in a room with 2 adults – let’s have some kids only fun! Don’t tell mom and dad…
8/

That they have been subpoenaed by ICE is normal - that they have so much information to give ICE is not. Let's add facial recognition. In your world, you gave money to the homeless, in Trump's world you just aided a possible immigrant terrorist.
9/

Or how about game developer Rami and his continual being stopped for “random” checks at airports. Who happens when the Facebook data shows that you were with him? Should they stop you as well? Can you trust all your in life friends?
10/

For you 2nd amendment fans – that headset is counting the number of guns you have in your house as you clean them, the ATF just saw you have one more than registered… knock knock
11/

Facebook has been fined in Spain for not deleting data it collected but was no longer useful for the reason it was collected. Its violations in Europe are too plentiful to list all here.
12/

So it isn’t just Facebook and what they will do with this data, but this data’s existence is a threat to our privacy and freedom.Facebook has done more than above, there are more scenarios. They have also apologized for the above and yet continue doing many of these things.
13/

A future apology isn’t enough. This isn’t to say throw out your Oculus rift. This isn’t to say they can’t change – but right now today – they need to remove that language from their privacy policy and put in place policies not that protect that data – but don’t collect it.
14/

Until then, when they say they are serious about privacy? They clearly aren’t. A privacy policy itself is just a list of privacy violations. Really caring means not collecting the data in the first place. As users or employees of FB – request they change this policy now.
15/

A footnote, someone asked me why now. First the above revelations about the android data and who is in charge or Oculus. But this issue isn’t new for me, I couldn’t find the article but back in 1997 I found the possibly the first public adware and Wired wrote a story on it.
16/

I worked against the adware industry for years, with enough success a company once sent a goon to my house to try and intimidate me. I threw him off my property and redoubled my efforts.

That company is gone… I am still here.

/end