Facebook announced this week that it will introduce new, more detailed privacy features for the site’s mobile app users that will allow them to decide what data they want to share when they use apps. When users attempt to use an app on Facebook on their phone, they will now be offered a comprehensive list of data points that they can let an app share — or not.
Perhaps even more importantly, Facebook also announced that users will be able use apps without sharing any information because of an anonymous log-in feature the site will introduce for mobile users, and that users will no longer share their friends’ information through apps.
“At Facebook, we serve a lot of groups, including developers, advertisers, and employees—but the most important group we serve is the people who use our products,” Zuckerberg said. “And we must always put those people first. People want more control over how they share their information, especially with apps, and they want more control how apps share their data.”
Zuckerberg also went on to say that, in the wake of its recent 10th anniversary, the company is striving for more “stability” in its practices. He also said that users might be afraid to see a Facebook log-in before accessing an app, and that the company wanted to allay user fears with more options.
Keep in mind that even though the 3rd party developers aren’t receiving your information, Facebook will still be recording every action you take and amassing data that could be useful for demographic and other targeting.