Facebook has once again been dragged into the spotlight as the company disclosed on Tuesday that around 100 software developers may have accessed user data inappropriately.
According to CNBC, the social media platform revealed that at least 11 developer partners improperly accessed the data of users including profile pictures and names of some people in specific Facebook groups.
The news came amid increasing scrutiny for the platform's privacy policies and how third-party partners access user data. The company did say in a blog post that it has blocked the said access and also spoke with the concerned developer partners about the issue.
In September, Facebook announced that it suspended thousands of apps across the platform following an investigation into the network's overall software developer system.
Facebook's work on ridding the platform of apps and partners that retain the data of users came following last year's scandal wherein Cambridge Analytica inappropriately accessed the information of 87 million users.
The latest revelations are expected to be raised in the ongoing probe that the White House approved to implement a crackdown on U.S. Big Tech. While the investigations focus primarily on potential antitrust violations, Facebook's privacy breaches have also been dragged into the picture since the Cambridge Analytica incident.
The Verge noted that it is unclear how many Facebook users were affected in the latest round of data breaches by developers. Furthermore, the company's blog post did not mention if there were other information accessed such as emails, locations, and professions.
The platform implemented reforms in its Group management policies. Developers should not have any access to the profile data of each Group member, regardless of the category where the Group belongs.
Facebook clarified in its explanation that there is no evidence the developers abused their access to the Groups the apps they developed are linked to. However, proper audits will still be carried out to ensure that the un-retained information are removed from the developers' systems.
Meanwhile, the platform also announced on Wednesday a rebranding to distinguish the parent company from the social media platform and apps. The official logo is now "FACEBOOK."
The rebranding is designed for extra clarity so Facebook and FACEBOOK can retain their own brand statement. Some industry experts noted that the rebranding's timing seemed to be in line with the parent company's recent bouts with lawmakers and privacy regulators.
Some politicians have called for more action in breaking up companies like FACEBOOK, but more developments on the move have yet to be revealed to the public.
