Facebook violates privacy policy, allows phone makers to access users' data

Raising fresh concerns about Facebook's privacy protection policies, a New York Times report has exposed how the social network allowed about 60 device makers, including Apple and Samsung, to access personal information of users and their friends.

Even before Facebook apps were widely available on smartphones, Facebook had data-sharing partnerships with the device makers, the report said citing company officials, adding that most of the deals remain in effect.

While the device partnerships allowed Facebook to expand its reach, it let the phone makers offer customers popular features of the social network, such as messaging, "like" buttons and address books.

The deals raise concerns about the company's privacy protections and compliance with a 2011 consent decree with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), The Times said.

Facebook, which is already under scrutiny for misuse of millions of its users' data after the Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal became public, reportedly allowed the device companies access to the data of users' friends without their explicit consent.

Cambridge Analytica shuts down: How Facebook weathered the data theft storm

British marketing analytics firm Cambridge Analytica on Wednesday announced that it, along with its parent firm SCL Elections Ltd, was shutting shop and would file for insolvency in Britain and the US. The firm's business took a hit after it emerged that the company had improperly obtained data of 87 million Facebook users on behalf of political clients, including, allegedly, the present US President Donald Trump.

Even as the data scandal led to the closure of Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has managed to duck the heat, thanks to its smart damage-control moves. Last week, the company posted better than expected first-quarter earnings, with a 49 per cent jump in revenue.

From Apology to launching new privacy tools, here's how Facebook weathered the data theft storm:

Mark Zuckerberg's apology: "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake," Zuckerberg said in written remark ahead of congressional hearings.

In the hearings too, the CEO took full responsibilty for failing to prevent Cambridge Analytica from gathering personal information from 87 million users to try to influence elections.

Zuckerberg fielded 10 hours of questions over two days from nearly 100 US lawmakers and emerged largely unscathed.

Instagram will soon let users download all their images and videos

Popular image and video sharing platform Instagram announced that the users will soon be able to download a copy of their content posted.

The announcement comes amid the ongoing data privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica and social media platform, Facebook.

As per an Instagram spokesperson, the company is working on a data portability tool for users to download a copy of the photos, videos and messages shared on the platform, reports TechCrunch.

However, it remains unclear whether the company would go beyond allowing users to download the above-mentioned data, such as following and follower lists, likes, comments, Stories, and captions shared with posts.

In March, Facebook, as part of its privacy updates, announced that users can access data shared with the platform by downloading a secure copy and moving it to another service. Data can include photos, contacts, timeline posts, and more.

Zuckerberg thought he would be asked to resign, was prepared to slam Apple

Mark Zuckerberg left his notes open during a break in Monday's Senate hearing. According, to an Associated Press report, the snapshots of his notes indicate that the Facebook CEO expected senators to ask if would resign in the face of the Cambridge Analytica Data breach that led to severe privacy violations of 87 million users on the social networking site.

His notes also said that Apple didn't notify users of ''several apps misusing users' data''.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday testified before the Congress and during his five-hour testimony, the lawmakers asked him some tough questions on fake news, Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election and censorship of conservative media. He also formally apologised to the Congress for mistakes that led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal and emphasised that his company was rethinking its responsibility to users and society.

This is the first time that the Facebook CEO is testifying before the Congress.

Why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is winning the US Senate hearings

Mark Zuckerberg did just fine in his first turn in the Congressional hot seat. He was confident. He capably tackled many of the queries proposed last week by Bloomberg columnists. The 33-year-old billionaire appeared humble throughout much of the hearing, with only a few smug smiles.

The best news for Facebook Inc. the company was that Zuckerberg ably deflected any challenges to the beating heart of its economic model: its hungry data collection and the fine-tuned targeted advertising based on that data. Zuckerberg's success is a win for anyone primarily concerned with the company's market value. But it's a loss for the rest of us.

Facebook will keep failing users' trust as long as its business is based on unrestrained hoovering of as much user data as possible, and crafting ever-more innovative ways for advertisers to harness that information for commercial goals. It's an arrangement to which Facebook's users agree and can sidestep, technically, but it is hardly informed consent or a real option to avoid. 

Facebook-Cambridge Analytica row: Zuckerberg brings apology ads; updates

Facebook's problems after the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke out refuse to fade. Now, the social media giant's founder and chief ececutive officer Mark Zuckerberg has issued a full-page advertisement in seven newspapers across the United Kingdom and three across the United States apologising for the data breach. "We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can't, we don't deserve it," he said. Meanwhile, the social media giant also dismissed claims of having collected users' text and call data without their consent.

Amid the ongoing privacy scandal surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, Zuckerberg, in the advertisement, reiterated that the social media platform had already stopped third-party apps from "getting so much information" and that Facebook had started "limiting the data apps get when you sign up", The Verge reported. Zuckerberg also clarified that Facebook users would now be aware of which apps had access to their information and which did not, so that they could make an informed decision.

The Facebook ads ran in prominent positions in British nationals, including the best-selling Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, and The Observer -- which helped break the story -- as well as the US' New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. The advertisement reflected the public statements Zuckerberg made last week after the Cambridge Analytica data breach row prompted investigations in Europe and the US, and sent Facebook's share price plunging.

Facebook is for all: Zuckerberg takes a dig at Snapchat

Facebook does innovation to serve "everyone" in the community and not just the "high end", its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said in an apparent swipe at Snapchat boss' reported "poor countries" remark that triggered a controversy in India.

"I think one thing that people probably don't think about as much as we do is innovation to serve everyone in the community, not just the high end, right?," Zuckerberg told Tech Crunch on the sidelines of the annual Facebook Developer Conference (F8) at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California on Tuesday.

When asked about the perception of Facebook being less innovative, Zuckerberg said, "I guess I'm not that worried about that. I mean, I feel like we do different kinds of work in different areas. I mean, I think certainly, no one who looks at the solar-powered planes that we're building or the satellites that were making, and thinks that that stuff isn't interesting."

Zuckerbeg, 32, said we focus on a lot of things like Facebook Lite. It's up to 200 million people in like a year...I tend to worry more and think more about the substance of what our community actually wants, Tech Crunch reported.

Snapchat is strongly denying allegations by a former employee Anthony Pompliano, who alleged in a lawsuit that Spiegel had once shot down his suggestion to pursue growth in certain international markets.

Pompliano alleged that Spiegel said Snapchat is "only for rich people" and that he didnt want to "expand into poor countries like India and Spain.

Snapchat had refuted the reported claims of a former employee who alleged that its CEO Evan Spiegel made negative comments about the Indian market, saying the multimedia mobile app is for everyone and the company is "grateful" to its Indian users.

Spiegels remarks caused an uproar in India where users are quickly uninstalling the Snapchat app.
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