this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
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If I sign up using phony info and use a new email which is only for fb, always use a vpn and a browser (chromium) that I only use for fb can I be anonymous? I ask because there a couple groups that I'd like to join that only use fb. Thanks.

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[–] db2@sopuli.xyz 16 points 1 year ago

You can live without them.

[–] nutbutter@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They will ask you for a phone number and VoIP numbers won't work. Instagram even asks you se send them a picture of you while holding a code written on a paper in your hand. Pretty sure FB will confirm your identity before you can start using their services.

Just stay away from Meta, if you can.

[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago

Yep, I actually got locked out of an old account where I didn't use my real name. I was also friends with a drag queen who used her professional name, the name everybody knew her by, for her account. She was forced to show her ID and then change it to her real name. I could never get used to that because no one ever called her by her real name.

Personally, I'd never show them my ID, no matter what.

[–] BrikoX@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not really. They have persistent tracking even between browsers.

[–] peregus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] BrikoX@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

All VPN does is change your IP. They track more than your IP to fingerprint you. So while VPN removes one vector, there are plenty of other to identify and correlate a unique profile.

[–] Lemmchen@feddit.de 7 points 1 year ago

Your usage pattern will most likely betray you.

[–] cooopsspace@infosec.pub 6 points 1 year ago

I tried (marketplace) and my account was instantly banned.

Don't bother.

[–] Extrasvhx9he@lemmy.today 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Think changing chromium for something like mull, on a seperate device/sandboxed user profile where you never input other information and setup a killswitch for the vpn would probably be better

[–] LazerDickMcCheese@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That's what I would do, not that anyone should base their actions on me

[–] peregus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Or Firefox with containers!

[–] Melody@lemmy.one 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

No!

With anything owned by Meta; you will be required to verify your identity.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

well your activity can still be tracked and eventually associated to your other internet activities.

  • your online times can be correlated with your other accounts and software you use on the same device
  • browsing behavioral patterns
  • a combination of tracking mouse movement, clicking and typing can be used to create a very unique fingerprint
  • VPN's are not really "anonymous". you just trust some random company to not sell you out

but realistically nobody has any interest in what random facebook groups you join as long as its nothing legally complicated. so the questions is do you want to prevent your friends and family from seeing what you are doing, or do you want to do stuff that could get you in jail? if its the former then a separate account is sufficient. if its the latter then you should do a lot of reading.

[–] ho4@ani.social 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You can remain anonymous to the people in those groups. No VPN required either, just a different Facebook account.
You can't be anonymous towards Facebook itself, because that social network requires an account.
You can't be unidentifiable by Facebook, because they would require you to very your account.
You can remain unlinked to your real identity (as seen by Facebook) if you use a different SIM. And a different phone if you're planning to use the app.
You can't remain unlinked to your real identity as seen by the government because you need to provide your id when buying a new SIM, so when necessary they can query Facebook for your phone number and then query your phone provider for your id.

[–] Sinnerman@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

You can’t remain unlinked to your real identity as seen by the government because you need to provide your id when buying a new SIM

This varies by country. In the US you can buy a prepaid mobile phone with cash and supply it with prepaid cards, all without showing ID:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prepaid_mobile_phone#Privacy_rights

(but obviously they can figure out who you are by tracking your signal and seeing where you spend your time.)