The saying, ‘once bitten, twice shy’ seems to have finally gotten to Facebook. The company always preferred internal action against instances when the company’s terms of service were violated by someone in different ways. However, since some incidents like the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, Facebook has started turning towards taking legal action against the offenders. And now (according to Jessica Romero, Facebook's Director of Platform Enforcement and Litigation) for the first time, the company has filed a lawsuit against two separate entities in the UK and the US.
The first offender is an app developer company in the UK called ‘MobiBurn.’ Facebook has accused the company of paying app developers to install a malicious Software Development Kit within their apps. When users installed those apps, due to the malware, MobiBurn was able to collect data from their devices while also using Facebook and other social media platforms to collect user information like name, gender, time zone, email address, etc. It did not directly compromise Facebook, but Facebook’s stance is firm that its platform should not be used by any company to invasively collect user information and abuse it later.
In December 2019 also, Facebook saw a situation like this. A company was using Facebook’s posts and ads to trick users into downloading some malicious software that would cost them their personal information. So, Facebook took legal action against that company also, and now, Facebook is taking legal action again MobiBurn to teach the offenders a lesson and to also discourage others from doing such things using Facebook’s platform in the future.
The second lawsuit is against a company called ‘Nakrutka.’ Facebook claims that this company used a network of bots and automation software to create fake engagement in the form of likes, comments, views, and followers on Instagram. The company was also backing several websites that offered fake engagement to people in the form of ‘Buy Instagram Likes’ etc. This is against Facebook’s policies and is illegal too, so Facebook is completely justified to take legal action against this company.
Facebook has become a huge part of our daily lives. Many brands and authentic sellers use Facebook and Instagram for business purposes, and such activities can bring a very negative impact on all these people. So, it was high time that Facebook took a firm stand against such offenses and establish clear boundaries for everyone.
Read next: Facebook Sheds Light On Its TIES System Developed For Detecting Misleading Information And Fake Accounts Based On Interactions
The first offender is an app developer company in the UK called ‘MobiBurn.’ Facebook has accused the company of paying app developers to install a malicious Software Development Kit within their apps. When users installed those apps, due to the malware, MobiBurn was able to collect data from their devices while also using Facebook and other social media platforms to collect user information like name, gender, time zone, email address, etc. It did not directly compromise Facebook, but Facebook’s stance is firm that its platform should not be used by any company to invasively collect user information and abuse it later.
In December 2019 also, Facebook saw a situation like this. A company was using Facebook’s posts and ads to trick users into downloading some malicious software that would cost them their personal information. So, Facebook took legal action against that company also, and now, Facebook is taking legal action again MobiBurn to teach the offenders a lesson and to also discourage others from doing such things using Facebook’s platform in the future.
The second lawsuit is against a company called ‘Nakrutka.’ Facebook claims that this company used a network of bots and automation software to create fake engagement in the form of likes, comments, views, and followers on Instagram. The company was also backing several websites that offered fake engagement to people in the form of ‘Buy Instagram Likes’ etc. This is against Facebook’s policies and is illegal too, so Facebook is completely justified to take legal action against this company.
Facebook has become a huge part of our daily lives. Many brands and authentic sellers use Facebook and Instagram for business purposes, and such activities can bring a very negative impact on all these people. So, it was high time that Facebook took a firm stand against such offenses and establish clear boundaries for everyone.
Read next: Facebook Sheds Light On Its TIES System Developed For Detecting Misleading Information And Fake Accounts Based On Interactions
