These Apps Reportedly Shared Sensitive Personal Information With Facebook

[TheBlackAdder]

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Just as bad for future family employability & insurability as those At-Home DNA Tests.

At issue is an analytics tool that Facebook offers to developers called App Events. It’s a plug-and-play SDK that helps developers setup custom trackers of user activity that can translate into ad targeting data. Facebook isn’t the only company offering this kind of tool but according to the Wall Street Journal, it’s been implemented in “thousands” of apps.

In order to get an idea of how this SDK is being used, the Journal used software to analyze the internet communications of over 70 apps. “The tests found at least 11 apps sent Facebook potentially sensitive information about how users behaved or actual data they entered,” the report says. For some reason, the paper decided to only identify five of the apps by name. They are:

Instant Heart Rate: HR Monitor - Transmitted heart rate data.
Flo Period & Ovulation Tracker - Shared when a user was having their period.
Realtor.com - Transmitted the location and price of listings that a user viewed.
BetterMe: Weight Loss Workouts - Shared users’ weights and heights.
Meditation app Breethe - Shared the email address users used to log in to the app and the name of the meditations the user completed.
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In the world of Facebook-related scandals, this one ranks pretty low on the outrage meter. But it does, once again, illustrate that you don’t even have to be a Facebook user to find out you’ve been unwittingly handing over data to the tech giant. It’s also an important reminder that users should be careful when it comes to sharing health information—especially at a time when insurance companies are looking to social media and data analytics to determine premiums.

We also may find out that abuse of Facebook’s SDK is more widespread than we realized. The office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this afternoon that it is directing the Department of Financial Services and other state agencies to immediately open an investigation into Facebook’s practices with third parties.

https://gizmodo.com/these-apps-reportedly-shared-sensitive-personal-informa-1832827887

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[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Hmmm.

I guess the fact that I don't download apps is a plus.

I also don't have a "smart" phone, and more and more I think I'll stick with my basic phone. I can text, which is highly convenient, but I am happy with just that.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

2. Where was your "personal information" shared?

Did hackers get it?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. gee, I hope you don't suffer immense finacial loss

[Hekate]

4. I can certainly see how this would be problematic, especially if insurance companies purchase data

Blue Cross and the rest love to acquire data about your risk factors so they can charge you more or deny you services. They've been doing it for decades with smoker's surveys and such -- now they can super fine tune it.

I think Fitbit intersects with Facebook, too. So much does. But meditation apps? Sheesh. All your data are belong to us.

I hope Zuck gets a serious legal slap upside the head some day -- he hasn't changed a bit and he doesn't give a damn for the real-life consequences.