Reactivate for deactivate.

Meta is “getting ready to expand [their] AI at Meta experiences to [my] region.” Now…

  • I have an instagram account deactivated since ~2018 (can’t even remember, but I’ll asterisk this anyway.)
  • Meta sent me an email informing me that soon, they will use my instagram data to train their ai.
  • I don’t want this. (Not that it matters much. It’s just called that anyway.)
  • They also inform me I have a “right to object”, as they use the data for training by technically extending their definition of Legitimate Interest. Which, first off, is a shady practice on its own right, ans second, yay, EU! I guess US users are… screwed?
  • To use the right to object link, however, I need to log in to Instagram, and reactivate my account first.
  • But whilst trying this, I actually also discovered (I guess I knew this when I deactivated, but forgot) that my inactive account only extends to my username, and not the actual account, which is still accessible in it’s frozen state from whenever. (Well technically it’s inactive, right?) But anyway, why not delete the whole thing, while I’m at it, thought I.
  • But to just simply log in, I need to provide my date of birth, no login without that.

So as simple a thing as opting out of ai data collection, I face 2 dilemmas:

  1. Do I reactivate myself just to opt out of ai?
  2. Do I provide my date of birth just to reactivate myself just to opt out of ai?

(The answer is “yes, but use fake data, and then delete the whole thing.” I guess.)

As a footnote, behold the passive agressive legalese Meta could come up with explaining the legal basis for ai training:

To help bring these experiences to you, we’ll now rely on the legal basis called legitimate interests for using your information to develop and improve AI at Meta. This means that you have the right to object to how your information is used for these purposes. If your objection is honoured, it will be applied from then on.

The Trusted Partners of Tumblr; a fairy tale.

Not being a Tumblr user sort of has its benefits. One is that, well, you’re not using Tumblr. The other one is you never accepted their cookie and tracking policy and can have a beautiful view into not only how ad tracking works, but a bit into dark patterns, and how companies, that really don’t want to, reluctantly comply with the GDPR.

Let’s look at the particular example of Tumblr! I’ll be honest, this is the first time since (presumably; see also: GDPR) last May that I actually dug into what they want you to accept without thinking. Luckily Tumblr is a site that you don’t really have to see (especially since, you know, the purge… would say a lot of other guys), so whenever I was presented with their full screen consent request by accidentally clicking a link I just closed the tab. But now I had some free time to read, and I went down the rabbit hole. Continue reading The Trusted Partners of Tumblr; a fairy tale.

Take the power (of my data) back.

So I have been rocking my own Nextcloud instance for a while.

I could say inspired by this tweet…

…but that wouldn’t be true, as I installed it some time before that, and have tested/piloted it by then.

It’s a Nextcloud on one of my servers. It works. I like it. Continue reading Take the power (of my data) back.