Facebook today announced that as many as 100 developers could have inappropriately accessed personal data of Facebook users. The data may include the names and profile pictures of people in specific Facebook Groups.
Facebook said that they discovered that some apps had kept access to this type of data, despite the company making several changes to its system to prevent this type of improper use of data.
Facebook said in a blog post that it has cut this access and contacted around 100 developers who may have had access to this information. Facebook said they know that at least 11 developer partners have accessed this form of data in the last 60 days alone.
“These were primarily social media management and video streaming apps, designed to make it easier for group admins to manage their groups more effectively and help members share videos to their groups. For example, if a business managed a large community consisting of many members across multiple groups, they could use a social media management app to provide customer service, including customized responses, at scale. But while this access provided benefits to people and groups on Facebook, we made the decision to remove it and are following through on that approach.”
The company has not yet disclosed how many users may have had their data improperly accessed.
