Privacyscore, a project conducted by Privacychoice, recently released a Facebook application that rates the privacy risks of the most popular Facebook applications.

Pictured below is what you’ll see when you visit the app. Hovering over one of the featured apps, displays their score.

Clicking on a particular app will not only show the score assigned to them by Privacyscore, but you will see helpful information that reveals how the score was calculated:

According to the introductory video located on their Facebook page, a score of 90 and above is green and good. A score of 80-90 yields an orange color and cautions users to take a closer look. Anything below that shows up as red, and you’re probably better off avoiding these apps entirely.

PCMag reports that the average score of analyzed apps is a 78. Jim Brock, founder and CEO of PrivacyChoice, stated, “Facebook users deserve better than a C-plus when it comes to their privacy.”

Privacyscore’s FAQ explains how nine factors are used to calculate an application’s score – Four factors are related to how an app promises to handle user data, and five factors are based on “tracking data, privacy policies and the oversight of companies that collect anonymous profile data.”

Facebook is riddled with rogue applications, and there are literally thousands of applications active on the platform at any given time. We often warn our readers to avoid silly applications and only install apps from trusted, well-known developers. This new tool will provide a great way to see which app developers should be trusted with your data.

Currently, their database has information on a limited number of  Facebook apps. Users can opt-in to share information with them, so that other apps can be prioritized and added in the future.

Privacyscore offers similar ratings for websites, and they have a browser plugin available that will let you see the Privacyscore of rated websites while you surf. Using the plugin will also show you the privacy score of a rated Facebook application prior to installing it:

Recommended Resources

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams like this.

Do Not Track + is a FREE browser plugin created by Abine. This easy to install plugin keeps websites from tracking you. If you value your online privacy, then you should definitely take advantage of this free product.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.