Facebook suspends tens of thousands of data-scraping apps following its Cambridge Analytica investigation
Facebook has suspended tens of thousands of apps that have somehow abused user data as the company faces numerous US investigations and potential regulatory action.
The suspensions dramatically exceed the hundreds of apps the embattled tech giant said it had taken action against previously after the Cambridge Analytica scandal led to indignation from users, digital rights lawyers and privacy law lawmakers.
The tech giant's survey of all apps with access to "vast amounts of information" began in March 2018, and the suspended apps are affiliated with around 400 developers.
"This is not necessarily an indication that these apps posed a threat to people. Many were not alive, but were still in the testing phase when we suspended them," the company said in a blog post on Friday.
"It is not uncommon for developers to have multiple test apps that are never rolled out. And in many cases, developers did not respond to our request for information, so we suspended them and respected our commitment to take action." [1[ads1]9659003] FACEBOOK & # 39; S ZUCKERBERG states that & # 39; was purely BIAS & # 39; CONTRIBUTION OF & # 39; CENSORSHIP & # 39; BY PRO-LIFE GROUP LIVE ACTION
FACEBOOK expands resources and tightens policies to prevent suicide
The company also said it has taken legal action in some cases.
Earlier this year, Facebook filed a lawsuit in California against Rankwave, a South Korean data analytics company that would not cooperate with the company's investigation. And it filed an action against two other companies, LionMobi and JediMobi, which used their apps to infect users' mobile phones with malicious software in a kind of profit-generating scheme.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Told The Washington Post: "This was no accident. Facebook put up a neon sign that said, "Free private data" and let app developers fill their Americans' personal information. The FTC needs to hold Mark Zuckerberg personally accountable. "
" And now, barely 24 hours after insisting on my face that Facebook takes privacy more seriously than anything else, FB reveals potentially massive data breaches, "Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican, said on Twitter .
Facebook is facing pressure on several fronts.
FACEBOOK TO BATTLE EXTREMIS BY TRAINING AI WITH POLICE VIDEOS
GET FOX NEWS APP
The Social Network's new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreement requires developers shall annually confirm compliance with the company's policy or have consequences.
During CEO Mark Zuckerberg's round of Capitol Hill meetings over the past two days, he has been asked if he intends to sell Instagram and WhatsApp due to antitrust issues (he does not), and he admitted that the company's handling a recent controversy about abortion reflected bias.
The ubiquitous social platform also faces an antitrust probe led by the Attorney General – in addition to a separate FTC investigation.