Not one, two or hundred this time but “Tens of Thousands” of apps connected to Facebook that appears to be collecting large amount of user profile data have all been suspended. This big increase as opposed to the 400 flagged apps just a year ago which the company was investigating amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal which saw tens of millions of Facebook profile data scraped off to help undecided voters during elections.
The actual number of apps that were suspended wasn’t clarified according to the Blogpost where Facebook made the announcement but its said that the apps were built by 400 developers.
Some of the reasons for the ban includes siphoning off Facebook user profile data or just making those data public without any protective measures of the users’ identities or basically violating the company’s policies altogether.
RankWave, a South Korean analytics firm is part of the developers accused of siphoning users data off the platform despite Facebook not confirming other instances of misuse beyond those which the company had publicly notified.
The action comes in the wake of the since-defunct Cambridge Analytica and other serious privacy and security breaches. Federal authorities and lawmakers have launched investigations and issued fines from everything from its Libra cryptocurrency project to how the company handles users’ privacy.
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A US Senator, Ron Wyden from Oregon said that the case wasn’t an accident just as Facebook had claimed it to be saying in his own words that “Facebook put up a neon sign that said ‘Free Private Data,’ and let app developers have their fill of Americans’ personal info,” he said. “The FTC needs to hold Mark Zuckerberg personally responsible.” Facebook said its investigation will continue.
