Facebook sold users' data to Microsoft, Spotify, Netflix, even a bank, says report
As per the leaked internal documents, it has been found that social media giant Facebook has sold users' data, private messages and contact information to over 150 companies including a few of the world's largest technology companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and others, reported New York Times. Check out the whopping numbers:
User base
2.2 billion: Facebook user base. (Pixabay)
Number of firms involved
150 Firms: including device makers that got access to Facebook user's private data. (Pixabay)
Facebook data helped improve revenue
Facebook's data helped the tech giants refine their products and improve their revenue. (Pixabay)
Facebook revenue generation
While Facebook earned more through ads, it also obtained data from partners for a controversial friend-suggestion tool called "People you may know". (Pixabay)
Who got what: Microsoft
Microsoft: Its Bing search engine was allowed to see names of virtually all FB users' friends. (Pixabay)
Who got what: Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada
Spotify, Netflix and the Royal Bank of Canada: Could read, write and delete users' private messages. (Pixabay)
Who got what: Sony and Amazon
Sony, Amazon: Could obtain users' email addresses through their friends. (Pixabay)
Who got what: Apple
Apple: was allowed to hide from Facebook users all indicators that its devices were asking for data. (Pixabay)
Past Privacy Scandal: September 2018
September 2018: An attack on Facebook's computer network exposed the personal data of nearly 50 million users. (Pixabay)
Past Privacy Scandal: 2014
2014: UK-based consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvested the personal data of tens of millions of users. (Pixabay)
Past Privacy Scandal: 2009
2009: Facebook changed the privacy settings of the 400 million people then using the service, making some of their information accessible to all of the internet. (Pixabay)
No privacy breach: Fb
Facebook said it did not give companies access to personal data of users without their permission. None of these partnerships or features gave companies access to information without people's permission said the social media company. (Reuters)