Photo: Andalou Agency
Do you have any idea how many apps you have authorised? A good amount of your data is probably out there, easily accessible by those who care enough to look for it.
Vice President of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong release a statement today stating that Facebook has completely banned a number of apps. This is in line with an ongoing App Developer investigation that came about due to the Cambridge-Analytica data privacy issue last year. “To date, this investigation has addressed millions of apps. Of those, tens of thousands have been suspended for a variety of reasons while we continue to investigate”.
He added that the ban could happen for an array of reasons, including inappropriately sharing data, making data publicly available without identity protection, or any other forms of policy violation.
The apps were previously identified based on the number of users they had and how much data they had access to. Now, they base it off signals that indicate an app’s potential to violate Facebook’s policies. Intensive examinations are conducted when something doesn’t look right, and depending on the results, developers may have to go through in-depth questioning or even be banned from the platform.
Photo: Mashable
Moving forward, Archibong added that their new agreement with the Federal Trade Commission will require developers to annually certify policy compliance and those who are unable to do so will be held accountable.
“We won’t catch everything, and some of what we do catch will be with help from others outside Facebook. Our goal is to bring problems to light so we can address them quickly, stay ahead of bad actors and make sure that people can continue to enjoy engaging social experiences on Facebook while knowing their data will remain safe”, he continued.
High time for action to be taken, we think. Perhaps it’s a reminder to be extra cautious with what you give access to.
Photo: Celestine Foo
