Facebook gave tech companies 'intrusive' access to users' private messages and person

mr wonder · #1 (**permalink**) 12-22-2018, 08:42 AM

Facebook gave tech companies 'intrusive' access to users' private messages and personal data, internal documents reveal

Quote:

Facebook reportedly gave other big tech companies "intrusive access" to the personal data of its 2.2. billion users — in some instances to private messages, usernames and contact information — raising questions about whether the company ran afoul of a 2011 consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission.

These secretive arrangements were ostensibly meant to benefit Facebook's never-ending push for growth and enable the companies it works with to add features to their products to improve them. However, the findings underscore just how much power the Menlo Park, Calif.-based company wields over the data of its users.

The arrangements are detailed in a blockbuster New York Times report based on over 270 pages of internal Facebook documents and interviews with about 50 former company employees.

According to the Times, Facebook allowed Microsoft's Bing search engine to see the names of almost all Facebook users' friends without consent and gave Netflix and Spotify access to Facebook users' private messages. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company allowed Amazon to get users' names and contact information through their friends and permitted Yahoo to view streams of friends' posts. Facebook also reportedly allowed Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada to read and delete users' private messages and to see all participants on a thread....
and more

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/faceboo...cuments-reveal

foundit66 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-29-2018, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr wonder

Facebook gave tech companies 'intrusive' access to users' private messages and personal data, internal documents reveal

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/faceboo...cuments-reveal

I'm curious if this "access" was specific to non European persons.
Europe has enacted a law called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It protects user privacy in ways that I think need to be implemented in the U.S.

For example, the article notes that many people don't read the fine print in user agreements that they click "OK" to.
Part of GDPR says essentially "Screw your fine print. You need to make sure the user explicitly understands and agrees to your sharing of their private data"
GDPR forces companies to be responsible regarding user personal data.

Facebook already faces problems over their existing work under GDPR. Facebook is disgustingly cavalier with user's information and despite Zuckerberg's robotic reassurances, I don't think they have any sincere intentions of honestly reforming.
Facebook and Google hit with $8.8 billion in lawsuits on day one of GDPR
Facebook could face $1.63bn fine under GDPR over latest data breach
If the company was "careful" and just preyed upon U.S. users, then they probably are safer with the exception of potential FTC violations. Trump's government shutdown is affecting that investigation.
The shutdown is about to force the FTC to suspend its Facebook investigation, former officials say

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

The Following User Says Thank You to mr wonder For This Useful Post:
foundit66

The Following User Says Thank You to foundit66 For This Useful Post:
mr wonder