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Well, the privacy darling Flock was from the YC 2017 summer batch, so I think it's already known what VCs think about ethics if it can make good money.

Hint, it's optional.

(And while I'm not saying for eg PG is personally an anti privacy guy, it's impossible not to hold YC leadership accountable for aiding these cos, or at least looking away.)

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Why would you think it doesn't?
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I would say that HN's data is public so if Palantir wants it they already have it, unlike identifying documents collected by discord that connect discord identities to real identities.
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Can I get every user's IP address and the login times publicly? Can I run fingerprinting code for the users?
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Sure, just post something front page worthy, or get your minions to push your data collection endpoint there.
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Well it doesn't have to send much since 99% of information is already public. But I still would not doubt it for a second, there is no reason to think otherwise. There is no benefit to not sending them data and no downside to sending it.
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This sites ties to Thiel and people like him are problematic yes.

However, HN isn’t asking for our ids yet.

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Probably does
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I'm not a LLM, but you're absolutely right. That conclusion is sound.
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One big difference is that Discord literally told people they were going to be using their data for a Theil backed experiment. That's a lot different than the possibility that a company might send your data.

That being said, no, it wouldn't particularly surprise me if Y Combinator sends data to Palantir.

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> One big difference is that Discord literally told people they were going to be using their data for a Theil backed experiment.

You got a source for that? Because the only communication I've seen from Discord implies no data is sent when these scans take place, its supposed to all take place locally FIRST is my understanding. The only exception is if the local scan goofs in some way.

https://discord.com/press-releases/discord-launches-teen-by-...

> Key privacy protections of Discord’s age-assurance approach include:

> On-device processing: Video selfies for facial age estimation never leave a user’s device.

> Quick deletion: Identity documents submitted to our vendor partners are deleted quickly— in most cases, immediately after age confirmation.

> Straightforward age assurance: In most cases, users complete the process once and their Discord experience adapts to their verified age group. Users may be asked to use multiple methods only when more information is needed to assign an age group.

> Private status: A user’s age group status cannot be seen by other users.

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> You got a source for that? Because the only communication I've seen from Discord implies no data is sent when these scans take place, its supposed to all take place locally FIRST is my understanding.

> The only exception is if the local scan goofs in some way.

Basically this, if it fails or if you wish to escalate past that, then there's a path that would hit Persona (or, would have, they've since ended their relationship with Persona. Previously, you'd open a ticket in Zendesk, which is where data was breached from before).

https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/30326565624343...

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Fair enough, thank you! I was so confused, I'm trying to follow the story.
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I don't think people are nearly as concerned about their selfie as they are for the security of their identifying documents, which Discord has already screwed up in securing once during this fiasco.
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> That being said, no, it wouldn't particularly surprise me if Y Combinator sends data to Palantir.

A point I hadn't thought of before. A denial at this point wouldn't mean much because with the API and some sensible pacing anyone can access the information.

"Sends" is active. "Is scraped by" is the assumed passive.

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