This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
Facebook's investigation into data-sharing apps, which began in March 2018 following revelations about Cambridge Analytica, has now covered millions of apps. The social network has suspended tens of thousands of apps associated with about 400 developers.
Facebook's disclosure comes as the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has been examining the social network's data-sharing practices. Last month, Facebook had petitioned a judge in Boston to seal records related to the investigation of the apps, but the documents are likely to be unsealed by a state court within the next week.
According to Maura Healey, the Massachusetts attorney general, Facebook has fought to shield information about improper data-sharing with app developers. 'If only Facebook cared this much about privacy when it was giving away the personal data of everyone you know online,' she said in a statement.
Ime Archibong, a Facebook executive, explained that the suspensions of so many apps were not necessarily an indication that these apps were posing a threat to people. Some of the apps had not yet been rolled out, while others were suspended because they did not respond to the company's request for information.
Facebook has banned some apps completely, including one called myPersonality, which declined to participate in the company's audit and had shared information with other parties with few protections around the data. The social network has also sued a South Korean data analytics company, Rankwave, in May for refusing to cooperate with the investigation.
