Who is Facebook's mysterious “Lan Tim 2”? (shkspr.mobi)

Article summary

The article discusses Facebook's feature that allows users to see which companies have associated their off-Facebook activity with their Facebook account. The author discovers a mysterious company called 'Lan Tim 2' that has shared their activity with Facebook, despite not having made any purchases from them. The author investigates and finds that Lan Tim 2 is a white-label operation that supplies custom printed apparel, and that their activity was likely shared by another company called Spreadshirt. The article highlights Facebook's lack of transparency in providing meaningful data about the companies that share user activity.

Main themes

• Facebook data collection
• off-Facebook activity
• user anonymity
• data transparency
• advertising and tracking
• online privacy
• social media regulation

What commenters say

• Some commenters argue that Facebook's data collection practices are a major concern and that users should be aware of the companies that share their activity.
• Others believe that Facebook provides a useful feature by allowing users to see which companies have associated their activity with their account.
• There is a debate about whether Signal, a messaging app, collects and resells user data, with some arguing that it does and others claiming that it does not.
• A few commenters suggest that using a fake cell number or a VPN can help protect user anonymity, but others argue that this is not enough to prevent data collection.
• Some commenters are concerned about the lack of transparency in Facebook's data collection practices and argue that the company should provide more information about the companies that share user activity.
• Others believe that the real problem is not Facebook, but rather the companies that share user data without their knowledge or consent.
• There is a discussion about the effectiveness of using adblockers and other tools to prevent data collection, with some arguing that they are useful and others claiming that they are not enough.
• A few commenters argue that the only way to truly protect user data is to stop using Facebook and other social media platforms altogether.