Facebook’s bread and butter is
collecting user data, so it’s no surprise the company has the
capability to track us wherever we go. However,
a
new report from CNBC spells out just how far Facebook is willing
to go to use this tool if it thinks it’s facing a threat.
According to the report, Facebook
received a threat from a user in early 2018 against one of its
offices in Europe. The company pulled the user’s data to discover
his location, then informed law enforcement officials and directed
its own security to be on alert.
The CNBC report also revealed that
Facebook keeps a so-called “BOLO” list — be on the lookout —
that consists of hundreds of users who the company deems a security
risk. This includes many former employees and contractors who were
placed on the list for no specific reason. Of course, Facebook says
its ability to track users follows every law, as well as the
guidelines it has set for itself.
“We have
strict processes designed to protect people’s privacy and adhere to
all data privacy laws,” a Facebook spokesperson
said
in a statement. “In cases where there is a credible threat
of physical violence against a Facebook employee, we use a
combination of publicly available data and industry-standard
practices to assess their physical proximity to an at-risk employee
or Facebook location.”
Whether or not this snooping is justified, these revelations are not a good look for a company already accused of overstepping its bounds when it comes to user privacy.
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