I decided to download Instagram the other day. I wanted to be somewhat anonymous so I created a profile with a generic username, didn’t attach my email, and didn’t allow it to download any contacts.
When I signed in, the whole suggested friend list included people I knew. Family, old coworkers, ex-girlfriends, people I haven’t spoken to in 10+ years...
The only explanation I can think of is that I had used my phone number to sign up, and they scanned all their users to see who has my phone number stored in their phones.
I got super creeped out and deleted my account. Funnily enough, I had the exact same experience with Twitter last year too.
Instagram’s suggestions are out of control. It recommended that I friend the receptionist at my old dentist’s office. I didn’t even have Instagram when I went to that dentist. I can’t even figure out how it would connect us. Even if she had my phone number in her phone and made the decision to share her contacts with Instagram, I didn’t share my number with the service. I used an email that she wouldn’t have. Maybe I browsed a website with Facebook tracking while in the office and it knew my location and made a guess, but I don’t believe that it recommended anyone else from that building. Strang
This is freaky for sure but it could've also just been a coincidence. If she worked at a local dentist's office it could be that she is friends with a friend of yours or something like that.
That's the thing, this account has NO friends. I follow random people who draw things or dress well. But it still recommends my son's friends' parents or people that I went to high school with two states away or even the woman who cleaned my house two years ago. I bet FB's friend matching algorithm is something special
> The only explanation I can think of is that I had used my phone number to sign up, and they scanned all their users to see who has my phone number stored in their phones.
Simple. Those services ask permission to access the contact list of their user so they can "check if they already have them in their system". And while they're at it, they just keep everything. Permission included so they can store new contacts when you add new ones.
I have denied that sort of request from LinkedIn many times, but due to the suggestions it's made, it's clear they scraped my email contacts at some point. Either I slipped up, or they found some oblique way.
This is where EU's data protection law comes into play. When someone agreed to letting the app look at their phone book, the person isn't giving the app permission to store that forever. In theory, this sort of action should be illegal under EU law.
When I signed in, the whole suggested friend list included people I knew. Family, old coworkers, ex-girlfriends, people I haven’t spoken to in 10+ years...
The only explanation I can think of is that I had used my phone number to sign up, and they scanned all their users to see who has my phone number stored in their phones.
I got super creeped out and deleted my account. Funnily enough, I had the exact same experience with Twitter last year too.