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Social media behemoth Facebook said Tuesday that a slew of third-party app developers have indecorously accessed the names and profile pictures of members in several Facebook groups.
In the wake of disclosures regarding Cambridge Analytica in April 2018, the company cracked down on its software, limiting what information apps could gather from Facebook users.
The changes meant to limit what information apps could collect from Facebook users, but several external developers “retained access to group member information, like names and profile pictures in connection with group activity, from the Groups API, for longer than intended,” Facebook said in a statement.
It was not instantly clear how the issue may have impacted many Facebook users or group members.
In the blog post, Facebook said that 11 software developers were thought to have accessed the information within the last 60 days, though it said there was no evidence of exploitation. Facebook has since rescinded their access to that information, and will do audits of the 11 developers to confirm they remove any data they had gathered inadequately.
Quizzed whether the 11 developers could face disciplinary consequences, Facebook said: “The issue isn’t with developers doing anything wrong; it’s with Facebook permitting access for longer than should have happened.”
The revelation is the latest in a spate of admissions by Facebook as it seeks to clean up its data practices, which were the theme of a $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year.
“The new framework under our agreement with the FTC means more accountability and transparency into how we build and maintain products,” Facebook wrote in the blog post. “As we continue to work through this process we expect to find more examples of where we can improve, either through our products or changing how data is accessed.”
