Reports are flying around as people close their Facebook accounts that phone logs and SMS messages have been sent to Facebook even though those users were using the standard Android apps to make calls and send messages.
This is in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where by persuading 270,000 users to take the “ThisIsMyDigitalLife” Quiz, by accepting the permissions those users also unwittingly gave access to their friends personal data, 50 Million User’s worth of data Which Cambridge Analytica then used to influence voters in various political campaigns around the world, including Brexit and the US Election.
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/21/technology/facebook-user-lawsuit/index.html
The permissions requested by Facebook’s Messenger App meant that it had full access to this data, and they took advantage of it.
- Click
at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings. - Click Download a copy of your Facebook data below your General Account Settings.
- Click Start My Archive.
- After a little while you will receive a notification that you data is ready to be downloaded
- It will come in the form of a ZIP file, which you can extract onto your computer and navigate by double clicking the index.htm file
It’s also worth checking what Facebook Applications you are sharing data with, even if you don’t close your account, maybe now is a good time for a spring clean, as often the owners of these apps change hands, and the new owners may be exploiting your personal data.
To manage your Apps:
- Click at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings.
- Click Apps in the left hand menu
- Go through and remove access to any apps you don’t feel comfortable with having access to your data
- Remember to Click the SEE MORE if you have the link at the bottom as there may be more apps hiding there
Happy Hunting
‘If you’re not paying for it; you are the product’
