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C Moon

(12,188 posts)
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 02:06 AM Aug 2020

FaceBook is inundated with fake accounts in the past week (since "updating" to their new layout).

FaceBook recently sent out a notice that they are eliminating the old layout soon, and you must update.
The new layout, includes a panel that runs across the home page, with suggested "people you may know."
NONE of these people are real. It's painfully obvious. Okay wait, 50% aren't real, some of them are real accounts.

One I saw today had a banner under their picture pushing for Trump in 2020, and a background banner with Trump's ugly mug.
These are political ads, and FaceBook is plastering them in your "people you may know" area.

Pretty creepy stuff, FaceBook.

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
FaceBook is inundated with fake accounts in the past week (since "updating" to their new layout). (Original Post) C Moon Aug 2020 OP
Facebook is a vector for disinformation StrictlyRockers Aug 2020 #1
I hide my account from the public, so I guess I don't see a lot of that. C Moon Aug 2020 #4
That sounds smart. StrictlyRockers Aug 2020 #7
There are no 'private' accounts from the standpoint of Facebook itself ... mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #9
There's a really great browser plugin blogslut Aug 2020 #2
Nice! C Moon Aug 2020 #5
OMG bless you! obamanut2012 Aug 2020 #12
I'm happy to be blissfully ignorant about what you are describing intrepidity Aug 2020 #3
Thumbs up! C Moon Aug 2020 #6
In case you WANTED to know ... mr_lebowski Aug 2020 #10
Gonna be a MESS! elleng Aug 2020 #8
people u may know is not new. the new look is a mess and offers no improvement nt msongs Aug 2020 #11
Yeah, I've looked at it on the old layout from time to time, C Moon Aug 2020 #13

C Moon

(12,188 posts)
4. I hide my account from the public, so I guess I don't see a lot of that.
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 02:16 AM
Aug 2020

Maybe that's why this surprised me: they figured out a way to get the disinformation into private accounts.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
9. There are no 'private' accounts from the standpoint of Facebook itself ...
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 03:25 AM
Aug 2020

They may not show anything about you to anyone but those you've chosen via permissions, but that's 100% and completely unrelated to 'what they show you'.

blogslut

(37,956 posts)
2. There's a really great browser plugin
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 02:12 AM
Aug 2020
https://www.fbpurity.com/

Tweak the settings and most of the bad dumb FB stuff goes away, except for blathering family members and friends. You gotta block those yourself.
 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
10. In case you WANTED to know ...
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 03:32 AM
Aug 2020

In the FB app there's a section called 'people you may know' and it's normally populated by an algorithm that basically identifies connections between people you know.

If 20 of your friends are friends with Doug Smith, but you are not, you get Doug Smith as one of the people in said list. The more 'connections' the more likely the person is to be near the top. There seems to be a time limit on these, they do cycle over time.

There should really NEVER be anyone in this list that isn't friends with a number of people you know. The complaint here is that they're now seeing (probably) fake people who's pictures function as Trump ads, that are not friends with anyone they know ... in this list.

It's very friggin deceitful on FB's part because these Trumpists (real or not) could not 'cause' this to happen on their own ... unless perhaps they've discovered a bug with the redesign and are leveraging it. That seems less likely than FB shenanigans, but is also possible.

C Moon

(12,188 posts)
13. Yeah, I've looked at it on the old layout from time to time,
Mon Aug 31, 2020, 11:29 AM
Aug 2020

but now there are people who are 100% fake. It wasn't that way before.

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