For ten years Facebook has provided the manufacturers of smartphones users private data. The New York Times writes that it began from the moment when the Facebook app has appeared on smartphones.
The company has obtained access to user’s personal information, including marital status, political and religious preferences and friends list. The data is passed even after the user is forbidden to share them. Among the companies that received information from Facebook turned out to be Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon and BlackBerry.
Representatives of Facebook said that the data that are different from those that can get third-party developers. Previously, Facebook provided information on tens of millions of users of social networks Cambridge Analytica, which violated the terms of the contract on use of the data.
“These partnerships are very different from how application developers use our platform. Unlike developers who provide games and services to users Facebook, the partner companies can use the data Facebook only to study the experience of Facebook”, — said Vice-President of Facebook.
From April 2018 Facebook has stopped transmitting the information to certain companies, but most manufacturers still get it. Former Facebook developers and security experts are surprised by such behavior of the company.
“It’s like putting a lock on the door and find out that the mechanic also gave the keys to all my friends who can now get in and rummage through your things without your permission,” said a consultant on privacy Ashkan Soltani, who was formerly chief engineer of the Federal trade Commission of the United States.
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