Privacy

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How is instagram spying on me? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 3 months ago by countrypunk@slrpnk.net to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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I want to preface this by saying that yes, I know that Instagram is bad. I am planning to get rid of it in the future but as of now I have to keep it for communication with people who are only on that platform.

So I have grapheneOS, use protonvpn (free version), use mull as my browser, and do not have google play services enabled on my phone. I do have some apps downloaded through aurora store such as Instagram, whatsapp, mychart, and mint mobile, but the rest came from f-droid.

I have noticed multiple times that after having private conversations on matrix, I get Instagram content in my feed that is scarily accurate to the conversation I had on the other platform immediately after. I know that things discussed in Instagram direct messages and group chat will give suggested content based on those conversations, but I get stuff that that is very specific to what I have ONLY discussed on matrix and didn't look up via my browser.

So my question is how is Instagram doing this and what can I do to mitigate the spying it's doing on my other apps. Thanks.

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[–] TheSun@slrpnk.net 6 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Use the user profiles feature of grapheneos to make a "social" profile and only use that to access Instagram / facebook.

Meta sells your convo data on WhatsApp for ads, if you use it you will get targeted ads regardless.

Other options are signal (Molly on fdroid), simplex, etc.

[–] Deello@lemm.ee 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

My car has an aux cable to connect to my phone. The cable died again so I've been rediscovering the radio and I've been been hearing commercials for whatsapp. They advertise E2EE as a feature. What you are saying is a contradiction to that. Is it possible to have E2EE AND have them sell your convo to third parties?

[–] Onihikage@beehaw.org 4 points 3 months ago (3 children)

They advertise E2EE as a feature

They can call it E2EE as much as they want, but it's a lie. It's encrypted in transit and at rest, at least on the user's device, but unlike true E2EE, they can decrypt and view any conversation they want to.

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users

[–] Deello@lemm.ee 4 points 3 months ago

So E2EE but they have a copy of the keys to use at their discretion. Cool, we have digital landlords now.

E2EE* plaintext with extra steps

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@kbin.run 3 points 3 months ago

This is particularly insidious, as they claim to use the same encryption as Signal, developed by Open Whisper Systems. But Meta allows themselves access. 2 billion users. SMH.

[–] countrypunk@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 months ago

Does this also apply to calls?

[–] noodlejetski@lemm.ee 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

they encrypt the content, but not the metadata. so Meta might not know what you're talking about, but will know who do you talk with, how often, where from, for how long, and so on. that'll often be more valuable for advertisers than the contents of the messages themselves.

[–] zingo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

More importantly, Meta also has the encryption keys of any WhatsApp conversation.

It's like a fucking META password manager that unlocks your vault.. (...as in your WhatsApp conversations) and locks it when they are done spying, whenever they feel like. Repeatedly.

You have no control, as in a secure private conversation unless you have the keys on your device.

[–] DaveedMee@beehaw.org 1 points 3 months ago

dont wanna be "that" guy but do u have any sources regarding the whatsapp convo data sale? first time I've heard about it

[–] countrypunk@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 months ago

Unfortunately I do have WhatsApp and I absolutely cannot get rid of that unless I cut off all my older family members who don't know how to use anything else (which I don't wanna do). I'm gonna put Instagram on a separate profile like you recommended, but can't for WhatsApp because that'll mean I can't pick up calls and the likes. I do have molly and quite like it, but only have a couple of friends on it that I've managed to convince to switch. I hope to get more on there from Instagram in the future, but will have to wait for when I am better friends with those people and less of a weird acquaintance.

The only place I get any ads nowadays is on Instagram, but I'm assuming that after I am rid of that they'll still have a shadow profile on me in the background.

Also, another question: what is the network permission on graphene OS? I haven't been able to find a clear answer about it on the net.

Thanks.