• Facebook keeps guessing where I am

    From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 11:05:37
    Recently, Facebook has been asking me if I am in this city, or that
    town, or another town, whenever I log on. And it's always wrong.
    I checked Settings in Facebook, and it says that location detection is
    only available via the 'app', which I don't use. In theory, if it is not available, it should not be enabled, but this is is Facebook.

    My Ubuntu 22.04 has location services disabled.

    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop it? It
    only comes up with this on the first, and only, time I log in on a day,
    so it is reacting to me, and presumably not anybody else.

    I will ask Facebook, but I have little faith in getting any help from
    them.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Chris Elvidge@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 11:37:10
    On 22/12/2024 at 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Recently, Facebook has been asking me if I am in this city, or that
    town, or another town, whenever I log on. And it's always wrong.
    I checked Settings in Facebook, and it says that location detection is
    only available via the 'app', which I don't use. In theory, if it is not available, it should not be enabled, but this is is Facebook.

    My Ubuntu 22.04 has location services disabled.

    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop it? It
    only comes up with this on the first, and only, time I log in on a day,
    so it is reacting to me, and presumably not anybody else.

    I will ask Facebook, but I have little faith in getting any help from
    them.


    It's using geolocation from your IP address, probably. See:
    whatismyip.com or similar.


    --
    Chris Elvidge, England
    I WILL NOT MOCK MRS. DUMBFACE


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Andy Burns@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 11:47:52
    Davey wrote:

    Facebook has been asking me if I am in this city, or that
    town, or another town, whenever I log on. And it's always wrong.

    I don't use facebook, but other services "guess" where I am, and they're
    often inaccurate, I like that.

    I only correct them if there's a reason for them to know my address.

    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: Air Applewood, The Linux Gateway to the UK & Eire (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 11:54:59
    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:37:10 +0000
    Chris Elvidge <chris@internal.net> wrote:

    On 22/12/2024 at 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Recently, Facebook has been asking me if I am in this city, or that
    town, or another town, whenever I log on. And it's always wrong.
    I checked Settings in Facebook, and it says that location detection
    is only available via the 'app', which I don't use. In theory, if
    it is not available, it should not be enabled, but this is is
    Facebook.

    My Ubuntu 22.04 has location services disabled.

    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop
    it? It only comes up with this on the first, and only, time I log
    in on a day, so it is reacting to me, and presumably not anybody
    else.

    I will ask Facebook, but I have little faith in getting any help
    from them.


    It's using geolocation from your IP address, probably. See:
    whatismyip.com or similar.



    The problem with that that is that my IP Address is identified,
    correctly, as that of my ISP, Zen, in Rochdale. Usually, Facebook
    thinks I'm somewhere in or near Oxford or Pinner. Never Rochdale. Never
    where I actually am, either.
    Speedtest.net thinks I am in London, which is closer.

    But thanks for the reply.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 11:57:37
    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:47:52 +0000
    Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

    Davey wrote:

    Facebook has been asking me if I am in this city, or that
    town, or another town, whenever I log on. And it's always wrong.

    I don't use facebook, but other services "guess" where I am, and
    they're often inaccurate, I like that.

    I only correct them if there's a reason for them to know my address.

    Indeed. I have concluded that this is not Facebook identifying some spoofing/phishing attempt, but more likely making a bad guess at where
    I am, as you say you get.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Daniel James@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 15:24:08
    On 22/12/2024 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop it?

    It sounds like Facebook is trying to get you to tell it where you are
    because it can't get the information via location services because
    you've turned them off.

    The best way to stop it is not to Facebook (or any of Meta's other means
    of monetizing the user).

    --
    Cheers,
    Daniel.

    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: Daniel James (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 16:00:05
    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 15:24:08 +0000
    Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:

    On 22/12/2024 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop
    it?

    It sounds like Facebook is trying to get you to tell it where you are because it can't get the information via location services because
    you've turned them off.

    The best way to stop it is not to Facebook (or any of Meta's other
    means of monetizing the user).


    I use Facebook for two purposes:
    1. To find old, lost contacts. It still works for that.
    2. To read some news and comments from an old friend, who makes posts
    most days and also send out some very good cartoons.

    So my use is minimal, but I do not intend to stop using it. I have never
    paid meta anything.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Sunday, December 22, 2024 18:31:08
    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 16:00:05 +0000
    Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 15:24:08 +0000
    Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:

    On 22/12/2024 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop
    it?

    It sounds like Facebook is trying to get you to tell it where you
    are because it can't get the information via location services
    because you've turned them off.

    The best way to stop it is not to Facebook (or any of Meta's other
    means of monetizing the user).


    I use Facebook for two purposes:
    1. To find old, lost contacts. It still works for that.
    2. To read some news and comments from an old friend, who makes posts
    most days and also send out some very good cartoons.

    So my use is minimal, but I do not intend to stop using it. I have
    never paid meta anything.


    I had to Join one of Facebook's Groups to ask a question, so I did, and
    asked what I wrote in the OP (above).

    There were 2 'Likes', and then a moderator stopped any more comments
    being added! Maybe I have stumbled on something that Facebook doesn't
    want the people to know about.

    Curiouser and curiouser.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Monday, December 23, 2024 10:04:47
    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 18:31:08 +0000
    Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 16:00:05 +0000
    Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

    On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 15:24:08 +0000
    Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:

    On 22/12/2024 11:05, Davey wrote:
    Does anybody have any idea what is happening, and how can I stop
    it?

    It sounds like Facebook is trying to get you to tell it where you
    are because it can't get the information via location services
    because you've turned them off.

    The best way to stop it is not to Facebook (or any of Meta's other
    means of monetizing the user).


    I use Facebook for two purposes:
    1. To find old, lost contacts. It still works for that.
    2. To read some news and comments from an old friend, who makes
    posts most days and also send out some very good cartoons.

    So my use is minimal, but I do not intend to stop using it. I have
    never paid meta anything.


    I had to Join one of Facebook's Groups to ask a question, so I did,
    and asked what I wrote in the OP (above).

    There were 2 'Likes', and then a moderator stopped any more comments
    being added! Maybe I have stumbled on something that Facebook doesn't
    want the people to know about.

    Curiouser and curiouser.


    One message posted before the shutdown was from somebody who asked me to Private Message him to get it sorted out. Sounds dangerous.

    --
    Davey.


    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Theo@2:250/1 to All on Monday, December 23, 2024 15:35:15
    Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
    One message posted before the shutdown was from somebody who asked me to Private Message him to get it sorted out. Sounds dangerous.

    Hello, I'm from Facebook and I can sort this out for you. I just need you
    to tell me your password and...

    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: University of Cambridge, England (2:250/1@fidonet)
  • From Davey@2:250/1 to All on Monday, December 23, 2024 16:36:19
    On 23 Dec 2024 15:35:15 +0000 (GMT)
    Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

    Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
    One message posted before the shutdown was from somebody who asked
    me to Private Message him to get it sorted out. Sounds dangerous.

    Hello, I'm from Facebook and I can sort this out for you. I just
    need you to tell me your password and...

    Would you like my date of birth, too? And bank A/C info?
    No thanks!!

    --
    Davey.



    --- MBSE BBS v1.1.0 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (2:250/1@fidonet)