Nonprofit organization Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has called out Facebook for its lack of aggressiveness in handling fraudulent law enforcement accounts that are used to spy on unknowing users.
According to FOX News, the organization did acknowledge that Facebook has warned against fake accounts repeatedly. However, the EFF noted that fake identities allow law enforcement officers to bypass warrant-requiring cases.
In a blog post on the organization's official website, the EFF said it wants Facebook to unveil detailed lists that include a fake account's agency, number of fraudulent profiles made, and what action the social media giant took against it.
In its post, the EFF mentioned a couple of cases wherein fraudulent accounts were used by authorities inappropriately. One particular case involved the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The EFF also requested of the social media network to let Facebook users know whenever a fake account is discovered and make a clear statement on the platform that law enforcement agencies agree "not to operate fake/impersonator profiles" on the network.
Another problem that was recently raised regarding the popular social media platform is the increasing number of live accounts that are owned by people who've passed away. The matter was raised in a new analysis by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII).
The analysis forecasted that around 1.4 billion Facebook users would die before the year 2100. If the numbers prove to be true, it could mean that accounts of dead people will outnumber profiles of living users by 2070.
Lead author of the study Carl Ohman pointed out that the issue could raise "difficult questions" on who will be allowed to access the deceased's account or how the account will be "managed in the best interest of the families and friends of the deceased."
In line with the latest issues that concerned agencies and foundations have raised about security lapses and risks that Facebook poses, the company announced that it has started cracking down on apps such as personality quizzes that require user information.
According to CNN, a spokesperson clarified that while quiz apps have not been banned yet, these quizzes will be subject to increased scrutiny by Facebook's security teams. The platform has since enforced new policies against apps that ask for user data that does not improve the experience of account owners.
Co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said through a Facebook post that the social media platform is looking to spend $3.8 billion on security initiatives that will improve safety and protection for user data.
Industry analysts attributed Facebook's multiple woes to the company's rapid expansion over the last few years. It may have ballooned to become one of the biggest companies around the world, but it risks losing the trust of masses due to security loopholes on its wall.
