The beginning of the week started off with a response from Facebook regarding the controversy and security of Facebook UID (user identifier). Facebook admitted that some developers sold UID to data brokers. It is important to note that private user data was not compromised or sold. The developers in question were banned from Facebook for six months, and they must go through a data audit procedure to ensure compliance with Facebook’s policies if they wish to return after the ban. The names of the developers were not released, but it was confirmed that they were not among the top 10 applications.
Facebook also reached a deal with Rapleaf, a company implicated a few weeks ago in the breach of user data. Rapleaf agreed to delete Facebook UIDs, and they are banned from the platform. In the wake of this privacy fiasco, a Facebook spokesperson reiterated the fact that “UIDs cannot leave your application or any of the infrastructure, code and services you need to build and run your application.” Facebook is releasing a way to share identifiers anonymously with third parties, and developers must be in compliance by January 1, 2011.
Other stories we followed this week relating to privacy and safety issues of social networking sites are listed below:
SocialShield Reminds Parents to Add Facebook and Twitter to the College Application Checklist
Facebook Tells Congress Leaking Users’ Names Doesn’t Breach Privacy
Huge Numbers Of People Hack Into Loved Ones’ Accounts
Scams of the Week
OH MY GOD!…Justin BIEBER Hits Girl For NO Reason! Facebook Scam
Amazing! Now you can see whos been viewing your profile —> Facebook Scam
Other notable Facebook stories we followed:
Cops: Hacker Posted Stolen X-rated Pics on Facebook
George Takei Calls Out Anti-Gay Arkansas School Board Member
Facebook Announces New Versions of the Facebook for iPhone and Android Mobile
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