Facebook Acknowledges It Shared User Data With Dozens of Companies (cnet.com) 59
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNET: Facebook has admitted providing dozens of tech companies with special access to user data after publicly saying it restricted such access in 2015. Facebook continued sharing information with 61 hardware and software makers after it said it discontinued the practice in May 2015, the social networking giant acknowledged in 747 pages of documents delivered to Congress late Friday. The documents were in response to hundreds of questions posed to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg by members of Congress in April.
Facebook said it granted a special "one-time" six-month extension to companies that ranged from AOL to package-delivery service United Parcel Service to dating app Hinge so they could come into compliance with the social network's new privacy policy and create their own versions of Facebook for their devices. Data shared without users' knowledge included friends' names, genders and birth dates. Facebook's documents also said it had discovered that five other companies "theoretically could have accessed limited friends' data" as a result of a beta test. Facebook said in the documents it has ended 38 of the partnerships and plans to discontinue seven more by the end of July.
Facebook said it granted a special "one-time" six-month extension to companies that ranged from AOL to package-delivery service United Parcel Service to dating app Hinge so they could come into compliance with the social network's new privacy policy and create their own versions of Facebook for their devices. Data shared without users' knowledge included friends' names, genders and birth dates. Facebook's documents also said it had discovered that five other companies "theoretically could have accessed limited friends' data" as a result of a beta test. Facebook said in the documents it has ended 38 of the partnerships and plans to discontinue seven more by the end of July.
What a big surprise, NOT (Score:5, Interesting)
Is anyone surprised Facebook did this? When you sign up for a free service that obviously requires lot's of money to operate.That company will find ways to sell your information as a commodity in order to stay in business. In fact you could argue this was Facebook's plan all along was to create a site to collect personal data and then sell it as a service to companies wanting it.
Re:What a big surprise, NOT (Score:5, Insightful)
The only surprise from a civics perspective is that they risked Contempt of Congress with their CEO. But he's rich and lawyered-up and apparently Congress converted their jail to a conference room eighty years ago, so from a reality perspective it's not a surprise at all. Still, lots of people think Congress is "doing their job" by grilling the Zuck, so none of the players lose except those people who are merely placated.
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The only surprise from a civics perspective is that they risked Contempt of Congress with their CEO. But he's rich
No need to say anything more. The party that has already been helped by Facebook is in contact for more donations, and information on those who would oppose them. They are already chanting "One of us!, ONE OF US!" as they have hit the holy grail of money, and weaponizable data.
Re:What a big surprise, NOT (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
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That they did it? No.
That they actually admit it... somewhat. Although it seems lately that you don't get prosecuted and punished for your wrongdoing the moment more than a hundred people know your name.
So perhaps people have so gotten used to other being shitty, that you don't even need to fear repercussions for owning up to your deeds anymore. Our apathy is just too strong.
obvious, but only in retrospect (Score:5, Insightful)
That wasn't the expectation when it started: it was an on-line version of the college yearbook, run on a shoestring. It was named after the Harvard student directory, thus the name.
It grew, and added universities first, funding itself privately and then via venture capital, and only then business pages, making it a recruiting supplier (like linkedin) and then an advertiser. Eventually it added high schools, and finally anyone.
It's customers were the "slowly boiled frogs" of the fable: only now is it obvious that facebook became a spy service at some time in the past.
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Hmm. Three million is "dozens" (Score:1)
Three million is "dozens". Lots and lots of dozens.
Don't be a dumb fuck. [wikiquote.org]
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Three million is "dozens". Lots and lots of dozens.
Don't be a dumb fuck. [wikiquote.org]
Yes, I'm with your line of thinking. "Dozens" makes it sound like there were about 24 to 120 companies. If they sold access to 24, a company the size of Facebook likely sold it to 24,000. Dozens is probably designed to sound deliberately low whilst not being technically incorrect.
Re: Better Question.... (Score:2)
Almost all of them.
Where do you think Creepy Facebook's revenue comes from? "Advertising"? Suuuuuuure....
If it's free... (Score:2)
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So, given the cost of Apple's hardware, they're the products?
Shocking.
I was thinking "why is this even news"... (Score:3, Insightful)
... then I realised, the news isn't that Facebook shared the data, it's that Facebook admitted it.
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What isn't news is that they could admit to having lied through their teeth because they know there will be no legal repercussions in US.
That might not be true in EU, but at this point they just don't care.
Re: I was thinking "why is this even news"... (Score:2)
Yup. Fuckerberg lies to Congress about matters of national importance, and suffers zero consequences.
But God forbid one of us commoners jaywalks while crossing the street. A team of 3 or 4 paramilitary law enforcers will leap into action!
Only idiots trust Facebook (Score:1)
Facebook has admitted providing dozens of tech companies with special access to user data after publicly saying it restricted such access in 2015.
It's not a problem if you don't use Facebook. (or less of a problem anyway) I understand why people use Facebook but I really don't see the value proposition as anywhere near sufficient for me to trust them with any sensitive data. I can't control what other people do but I'll be damned if I'm going to help them out by volunteering my information just so people I barely interact with can pretend to be my "friend".
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Having lots of "friends" on FB makes it less clear to the companies who buy your data who you rrally are. That may be a small plus.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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It's not new news, but it's worth repeating. The general public needs to get this through theirs heads. And Google deserves the same spotlight.
Re:we have one of these headlines one a month (Score:5, Informative)
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Re: we have one of these headlines one a month (Score:2)
"There is no legislative process"
A strong data privacy law would put Creepy Facebook out of business overnight.
Who couldve guessed?! (Score:1)
Yeah that's always been their business model.
Everyone knew this going in. Wait until people "realize" their facial recognition technology ties in with the US govt.
That'll be a hilarious discovery
And before 2015? (Score:1)
I think the real story should be about the information shared pre-2015, before the restrictions were officially applied.
If there was widespread sharing of userdata after restrictions were put in place, what was the scope of sharing before that???
always (Score:2)
... and this is a surprise? (Score:2)
What a waste of a posting (Score:3)
The ONLY one that has not sold off our data (that connects directly/indirectly to us) is Google. Google DOES sell data, but it is aggregated data, it is not individual data. IOW, it can not be used to tie to you.
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it can not be used to tie to you.
... As far as we know.
Re: What a waste of a posting (Score:2)
Google sells lotsa personal data to Uncle Sam and other repressive governments.
So much more lucrative than selling advertisements no one looks at for products no one wants...
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Do you have proof of that?
I know one company that tried to get data from Google and could only get aggregated, nothing personal.
As to FB, MS, Apple, Yahoo, they were able to get anything that they wanted.
GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA, NOW. (Score:2)
I just don't get it (Score:2)
Facebook has manipulated, lied to, and sold out its users from the beginning. They only admitted any wrongdoing, (oh, sorry, those were mistakes, right?), when Congress held their feet to the fire. The Zuck can't even go to Britain now, or he'll be hauled in front of Parliament and asked questions that he clearly doesn't want to answer. (There's a delicious corollary here that goes something like "if you're afraid, then you must have something to hide"). Examples of Facebook lying and dissembling continue t