In the News
Facebook keeps making the news for its poor handling of user data. In Maker of popular quiz apps on Facebook exposed personal data of 120 million users, Nick Slatt discusses the exposure of 120 million Facebook user’s personal information by a Facebook quiz developer. Slatt explains that certain quizzes on Facebook obtained user’s birthdays and other personal information and stored them in a way that left it vulnerable to misuse. However, Nametests’ parent company denies that personal information was in fact leaked to third parties.
Our Take
People love answering questions about themselves, and developers know it: it’s not difficult to get clicks on quizzes. The trick for users who want to find out which Hogwarts House their dog belongs to is to fill out quizzes on a webpage–not download a plug-in or app that can collect additional information from Facebook in the background. Even where quiz developers are not malicious, as in this story, there is always a risk that a bug or other vulnerability will allow unauthorized access to a user’s profile. If the app doesn’t provide a unique service offering that you couldn’t find on Sporcle, it’s not worth the risk!
Recommendations
So how can you protect your personal information on social media?
- Treat Facebook apps/plug-ins like iTunes or Google Play downloads: if it isn’t a unique service that is well-respected and reviewed, don’t install it
- Refrain from entering any information into online quizzes that you wouldn’t broadcast publicly–especially ones created by an unfamiliar source
- Take advantage of existing services on the web that do not require download or install to work