Mike-Linux's Blog

I just spend hours to delete all my chatlogs on facebook. That was not so easy at all! It first throws the "deleted" message/conversation in an archive. Then you need to display archived messages first. After that you need to click ON EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION, and select actions, delete all messages. The weirdest part is, that i use facebook chat via the pidgin IM client externally, however all the conversations still get logged on the facebook website.

So why doing all this? Well imagine your facebook account gets hacked, and somebody is able to read all these converstations, with possible details and important data in it? Logging chat messages, is not convenient for the user, but dangerous! Why? check out this story:

A man in germany once went through the same process. Deleting ALL messages/chats by hand, untill nothing was there. Not even in the archive.

Then he logged back in, and downloaded a copy of his entire facebook account, wich is an option in the account settings. Even though he deleted all messages in the inbox, and archive, he got over 1200 pages worth of chat in the download. Now, how is that possible? Does facebook "delete" eveything in some form of recycle bin? And how long will it stay there? Thats something the facebook user has no control over.

That raises some interesting questions. How safe is my data? Why does facebook log all chats from everybody? What does facebook do with these chatlogs? Why does facebook even log messages that are send from an external messenger client? Facebook tells us, that the logging system is convenient for the user, to look up messages you want to read again. But who tells us that facebook is not using these chatlogs, for other purposes?

I think the whole facebook chat/message logging system is dangerous to users, and invades privacy, since you can not delete them completely. It even should make people consider, wether to use the facebook chat and message system at all. I do have some tips, about chatting and sending messages on facebook:

1) Don't use personal data in messages, like dates, info about yourself and others.

2) Don't mention data about other users on facebook.

3) don't mention, or give out email adresses from yourself or others.

4) since every message can be trackable, be carefull what you say at all.

If i look again to these given tips, i wonder why we should use facebook chat and messages at all? tell me what you think!

edit:


After deleting all my chat logs and messages, i requested a copy of my facebook profile as download.
As soon the download is available, facebook will send me an email, where i have to confirm my account and then can download the archive. I really wonder what is in there. i will keep you informed!