Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
In the age of social media, any expectation of privacy that users may still hold is likely nothing more than wishful thinking. Facebook is undoubtedly the largest social media network and they leverage their oceans of private user data to make money. In recent years, the company has urged users to enable two-factor authentication in order to provide additional account security. What they weren’t telling us is that the phone numbers that users provided for security purposes were being dumped off to advertisers.
Gizmodo broke the story on Facebook’s use of your shadow contact information for monetary gain on Wednesday, and, predictably, users on social media are not happy. Facebook admitted to its shady use of your information in a statement to TechCruch today, “We use the information people provide to offer a better, more personalized experience on Facebook, including ads," a Facebook spokesperson said. "We are clear about how we use the information we collect, including the contact information that people upload or add to their own accounts. You can manage and delete the contact information you've uploaded at any time."
Earlier today, the private information of more than 50 million Facebook users was compromised in a security breach. Whether the information is stolen by hackers or brazenly sold to the highest bidder by Facebook, any information directly or indirectly submitted to these companies should never be considered private.