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You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our privacy policy. The idea popped into my head among mounting headlines around the alleged misuse of personal Facebook user data by analytics firm Cambridge Analytica.
I wanted to know what, exactly, those potentially in possession of my data might know about me -- so despite the trepidation, I downloaded it anyway.
This file had everything -- I mean, everything -- from personal contact records that I don't even have stored on my iPhone anymore, to every single image I had sent someone over Messenger.
As the title suggests: Things got weird, fast. And if you're understandably hesitant about downloading your own data, or just considering it, here's what you can expect -- and what the results mean. When you first download a copy of your data archive and unzip it the compressed file here 's a quick how-to , it'll look something like this:.
Open the general "index. Here's what the "profile" section of mine looks like, with a few sections removed for the sake of -- this old thing -- privacy. Granted, what was available on this page was largely information I voluntarily supplied to Facebook by way of putting it on my profile, like where I went to school or my birthday. But it was in the other sections and file folders where things started to get weird -- and where I started wondering what potential advertisers or others might be doing with it.
The "Ads" section of my data index file largely consists of an exhaustive list of ad topics that would be of interest to me. Some of them made sense, as they were brands whose Pages I already Liked. But some of the topics were downright irrelevant and, therefore, befuddling -- like "fishing bait" and "organic compound.
But there was also a section for advertisers with my contact information, many of whom were brands and musical artists whose Pages I hadn't Liked.
I had to wonder, why do the Smashing Pumpkins and Beck have my contact information? I hadn't listened to either, really, since my first year of college when -- at risk of dating myself -- Facebook didn't exist yet.
It raises questions about just how accessible this information is, and how widespread the availability of our data might be.
While likely a bad actor, I'm inclined to believe that Cambridge Analytica isn't alone in the way it allegedly synthesized Facebook user data to get to the root of what sort of promoted content and messaging would resonate most with people. It's also unclear how to selectively remove that data, if at all -- which could be a valuable next step for Facebook, says HubSpot Product Lead Daria Marmer. That became particularly salient when I discovered that my Facebook data includes a transcript of every Messenger interaction I've had, replete with any photo or video files I may have shared in those conversations.
Again, this might not be new. In an April earnings call , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that as part of the social network's ongoing efforts to personalize any content seen by a given user, it would take "a couple of different approaches towards more private content as well. Facebook emailed me a link to download my data. The process took about 10 minutes. The downloading time depends on how much data you've generated.
The data is segmented into groups: like ads, contact info, events, messages, timeline, and more. I started with the ads tab and learned which advertisers possessed my contact information. One of my male colleagues had a few surprising advertisers collecting his data: Rod Stewart, Sally Beauty and Cyndi Lauper.
He said he's not a fan of any of those brands. Related: Facebook has gotten too big for Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook also preserved conversations I had with people I've tried to forget.
But apparently I didn't try hard enough. That includes the guy I dated on and off for several years. I hadn't actively deleted our Messenger conversations. Look for and click the "Download a copy" link that is located on the line labelled Download a copy of your Facebook data that is at the bottom of the list of General Account Settings.
Read what you'll receive on the archive request page and click the "Start My Archive" button when you've finished reading. Click the Submit button when you have completed this step. Tell Facebook that's its okay if the file download could take a while to compile.
Click the "Start My Archive" button, when you are settled with this fact. Realize that once you get through all this, Facebook will send the archived file to the email you set up in your Facebook account. Click the Okay button when you acknowledge this fact. Open the email file, once it arrives.
Don't let the "Download your Facebook data" email fool you. This email just mentions that you requested your archive file be sent to you. Look for an email titled "Your Facebook download is ready". Click the personal link at the bottom of this email. This should open up your personalized Facebook archive page in your web browser. Tell Facebook that you are ready to download the file to your computer.
Click the Download File button in the center of the screen when you are ready. Re-enter your password, yet a third time. Click the Submit button when you are finished. Open or save the file on your computer via the Download dialog box. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
You can't download your request until the thirty days are up. However, if you downloaded the file and a few days later you lose it and would like to grab another copy, the Download a copy link will redirect you to the last Download Archive page, that you arrived at, after the email had been sent and you clicked the Download Archive Link, just before the file download step.
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