2019-4-18 14:59 |
Thousands of leaked documents reveal that Facebook chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, shared private user data with his app developer friends.
The shared data served as a reward to app developers and third-party companies that either spend enormous amounts on ads or have a good relationship with the company heads.
Facebook Loyalists Gain Access to Users’ Private DataThe CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg shared essential user data to loyalists of his company, according to thousands of leaked documents. This was a move by Zuckerberg to reward app developers and companies that spend vast amounts on adverts or have a good relationship with company executives.
According to the leaked documents, the sharing of sensitive user data to third-party entities played a crucial role in seeing Facebook become the leading social media outlet between 2011 and 2015.
Investigative journalist Duncan Campbell obtained the documents, which include meeting summaries, emails, company web chats, and presentations. The Independent contacted Facebook, but no immediate response was issued. However, a statement by NBC noted that while the documents were authentic, they were misleading.
A deputy general counsel at Facebook, Paul Grewal insists that the leaked documents tell only one side of the story while leaving out some critical contexts. He added that the social media company would abide by the policy changes made in 2014/2015, which prevents people from sharing users personal information with developers. Facebook never sold people’s data, Grewal insisted.
Despite the claims by Grewal that some documents were omitted, Facebook did not provide evidence to prove that.
Facebook Always Wants More DataEarlier this year, TechCrunch revealed that Facebook secretly pays people to use a “Facebook Research” VPN. The VPN allows the social media giant to access the phone and web activity of a user. The report said it was a desperate move by Facebook to gather data on its competitors.
The Research VPN app works similarly to the Onavo Protect app that was banned from the Apple store last August. However, Facebook did not relent as it circumvents the App Store and rewards users for downloading the app on their devices and giving it root access.
Facebook could decrypt and analyze the phone activity of the app users, TechCrunch added. The social media company admitted to TechCrunch that the Research Program was a way for them to gather information on usage habits.
Over the past three years, the social media company has been paying users between the age of 13 and 35 roughly $20 monthly in addition to referral fees to give up their privacy by installing the Research app on their Android and iOS mobile devices. The social media giant even went as far as asking users to take a screenshot of their Amazon order history page.
This strategy by Facebook indicates how far the company is willing to go and how much it would pay just to protect its position as the leading social media platform.
If you are looking for a trustworthy VPN that is incentivized to protect your data rather than share it, then it’s worth checking out our guide to the best VPN services in 2019.
Facebook Working on a WhatsApp StablecoinFacebook is currently developing a cryptocurrency that would allow users to transfer funds via its messaging platform, WhatsApp. The company will initially focus its WhatsApp remittance service in India before it expands to other regions.
The cryptocurrency will be a stablecoin pegged to the US Dollars. However, sources close to the matter reveal that Facebook will not be launching the cryptocurrency anytime soon. The plan might, however, include some systems for custody assets or fiat currencies that could be used to protect the value of the cryptocurrency.
Mark Zuckerberg Rewarded His Allies With Access to Facebook User Data, Leaked Documents Show was originally found on Cryptocurrency News | Tech, Privacy, Bitcoin & Blockchain | Blokt.
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