Since the beginning of Facebook its privacy policy has always been in question.
Recently this privacy policy has been in question even more so. On Monday, Facebook had discussed with its application developers on how they were handling users information. It was then brought to Facebook’s attention that these applications were improperly using the data they had been collecting.
Mike Vernal, one of the Facebook engineers, states in a blog post that they are aware of this situation. Such improper use of the information is in violation of Facebook’s privacy policy. However, Vernal claims that the press has “exaggerated” the use of sharing the User ID (UID). Even though these applications have shared the UIDs it doesn’t mean anyone can see private information without any user approval.
On the bright side, Vernal does claim that Facebook is committed to ensuring that all applications adhere to Facebook’s privacy policy.
It was only after The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday night that Facebook came out with their statement. It was discovered that even popular Facebook applications such as Farmville and Mafia Wars were sharing User IDs to third parties. Not only were they sharing specific User IDs, they were sharing their friends information as well.
For anyone concerned with Facebook’s privacy policy, it is recommended that you review the privacy policy. In the meantime, practicing good internet use etiquette wouldn’t hurt either. In other words, don’t share any information you don’t want just anyone knowing.
Some tips:
- Ensure your computer doesn’t have viruses
- Pay close attention to your payments
- Or just don’t allow any applications
Hopefully in the end Facebook focuses on this problem and ultimately ensuring privacy for their users.
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