Users in general are becoming increasingly aware of how much data big internet giants such as Facebook and Google tend to collect. However, a question that has ostensibly been answered yet still keeps getting more and more complex every day is how these companies collect this data in the first place. While it may seem logical to assume that Facebook would collect this data through user entries, it’s not that simple. There are a number of different avenues for data collection, many of them not quite over the table and some being decidedly underhanded.
A recent report has revealed that Facebook collects data from third party apps such as Tinder and OkCupid, as well as a variety of other apps that use its SDK (software development kit) or API (application programming interface). This data includes things like IP address, the type of device that is being used as well as what app is being used. Facebook will undoubtedly claim that their terms of use clearly states that they are going to collect data from third party apps, the main problem here is not the fact that data is being collected, it’s about how that data is being collected.
The data that Facebook receives should be anonymous at least to some extent. Some might argue that the data Facebook is procuring from dating apps and the like does not have user names and is thus, to a degree, anonymous. However, the IP addresses as well as specified advertising IDs that are collected from users definitely takes away a lot of their privacy. Facebook’s brand facing mentality has created a lot of privacy concerns for its users, especially because of the fact that it comes at the expense of site security as can be seen by the numerous breaches that have recently occurred.
A recent report has revealed that Facebook collects data from third party apps such as Tinder and OkCupid, as well as a variety of other apps that use its SDK (software development kit) or API (application programming interface). This data includes things like IP address, the type of device that is being used as well as what app is being used. Facebook will undoubtedly claim that their terms of use clearly states that they are going to collect data from third party apps, the main problem here is not the fact that data is being collected, it’s about how that data is being collected.
The data that Facebook receives should be anonymous at least to some extent. Some might argue that the data Facebook is procuring from dating apps and the like does not have user names and is thus, to a degree, anonymous. However, the IP addresses as well as specified advertising IDs that are collected from users definitely takes away a lot of their privacy. Facebook’s brand facing mentality has created a lot of privacy concerns for its users, especially because of the fact that it comes at the expense of site security as can be seen by the numerous breaches that have recently occurred.
