<story><title>Facebook Wanted Gizmodo to Kill Investigative Tool</title><url>https://gizmodo.com/facebook-wanted-us-to-kill-this-investigative-tool-1826620111</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>colechristensen</author><text>Everybody used to be in the phone book, a few people were unlisted and it seemed a bit strange but otherwise you could just look anybody up in a directory and call them.&lt;p&gt;I don&amp;#x27;t really understand the motivation trying to keep one&amp;#x27;s phone number or address secret.</text></item><item><author>docker_up</author><text>I realized the futility of trying to keep my data private. I used to never upload my contacts to any site, because I valued my privacy and my contacts&amp;#x27; privacy. Then I found things like my phone number being detected by Facebook, and I realized that it didn&amp;#x27;t matter what I did.  Any one of the hundreds of people who had my phone number could upload my information without my consent, and thus nothing I did mattered. I was infuriated but now I just give up, because there&amp;#x27;s no way to control your own information.&lt;p&gt;Even something as private as DNA is no longer under my own control. A sibling signed himself up for 23andme, and I realized that once he did that, I&amp;#x27;m as good as being up  there too. My entire family tree can now be identified because of that single person, which is scary as hell.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>aroberge</author><text>I&amp;#x27;m old enough to have lived with a phone number published and not have to worry about it. Then came the telemarketers. Still, long distance calls were expensive and such calls were relatively rare. Next, long distance calling became effectively free and telemarketing calls were becoming frequent. However, it was still only a dumb phone - so nothing to worry about. Then, smart phones came along, storing personal information and being potentially vulnerable to threats. They were also used for authentication.  But hey, not to worry, since it&amp;#x27;s just like before: everybody used to be in the phone book ...</text></comment>
<story><title>Facebook Wanted Gizmodo to Kill Investigative Tool</title><url>https://gizmodo.com/facebook-wanted-us-to-kill-this-investigative-tool-1826620111</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>colechristensen</author><text>Everybody used to be in the phone book, a few people were unlisted and it seemed a bit strange but otherwise you could just look anybody up in a directory and call them.&lt;p&gt;I don&amp;#x27;t really understand the motivation trying to keep one&amp;#x27;s phone number or address secret.</text></item><item><author>docker_up</author><text>I realized the futility of trying to keep my data private. I used to never upload my contacts to any site, because I valued my privacy and my contacts&amp;#x27; privacy. Then I found things like my phone number being detected by Facebook, and I realized that it didn&amp;#x27;t matter what I did.  Any one of the hundreds of people who had my phone number could upload my information without my consent, and thus nothing I did mattered. I was infuriated but now I just give up, because there&amp;#x27;s no way to control your own information.&lt;p&gt;Even something as private as DNA is no longer under my own control. A sibling signed himself up for 23andme, and I realized that once he did that, I&amp;#x27;m as good as being up  there too. My entire family tree can now be identified because of that single person, which is scary as hell.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>AlexeyBrin</author><text>&amp;gt; I don&amp;#x27;t really understand the motivation trying to keep one&amp;#x27;s phone number or address secret.&lt;p&gt;Random people&amp;#x2F;companies calling you at home, harassment, generally people on the internet being less than civil especially if you are a woman.</text></comment>