Here's what you can do:<p>1. Install 'NoRoot Firewall' from the Play Store: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.greyshirts.firewall" rel="nofollow">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.greyshirts...</a> (unfortunately it is not available on FDroid, maybe somebody can suggest a FOSS alternative please).<p>2. Set it to block all traffic to Facebook with two pre-filters:<p><pre><code> *.facebook.com:*
facebook.com:*
</code></pre>
There are probably more domains that can be added to this list, please suggest them.<p>3. Enable the firewall, use your apps and notice which ones contact Facebook in the 'Access Log' section.<p>4. And the most important part, do something about it. Either complain to the app developer/business or remove the app from your phone and never install it again. This is also the most difficult part as it requires you to put in the effort, or sacrifice some convenience, but if you are unwilling to stand up for your own principles then who will?<p>5. Spread the word, teach others how to do the same, and make the world a better place (just don't be pushy, nobody likes that). Try to lead by example, don't make others do something you haven't tried yourself, and explain the tradeoffs as unbiased as you can possible be, you'll get more credibility this way.<p>6. Long term, maybe vote for politicians that propose legislation to make such practices illegal? It's the only thing I can think of that has the potential to improve the situation for everyone. Otherwise companies will follow the money, and there is a lot of money to be made from surveillance in the advertising industry, plus free analitycs tools save time since businesses want the functionality, without needing to develop it themselves.<p>EDIT: formatting
As for the browser suggestions: it forgets to mention <i>uBlock Origin</i> and <i>uMatrix</i>. As far as I know you can block everything with <i>uMatrix</i>.<p><a href="https://getublockorigin.com" rel="nofollow">https://getublockorigin.com</a>, <a href="https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix</a>
> Facebook is able to track you because Android developers of 3rd party apps (example: Indeed Job Search) implement Facebook’s Software Development Kit (SDK).<p>Shadow profiling isn't new and Facebook has been doing this for years. Perhaps for those who are seriously on the brink of 'tinfoilism' of avoiding these creatures who just can't stop tracking us, we need a Ad-blocker-like component that blocks the FBSDK embedded in other apps and is enabled OS-wide. (Like a Privacy Firewall)<p>uBlock Origin has done this for Firefox, Safari and Chrome, we an equivalent for these apps. Facebook will stop at nothing to connect everything even if you don't have an account.
A question to the HN crowd reporting with app development: what are the benefits of using the Facebook SDK? Do you consider these outweigh the privacy concerns?<p>To everyone else: be sure to watch the CCC presentation by Privacy International