This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
Facebook Inc has taken a significant step in addressing concerns over user data privacy by suspending tens of thousands of apps on its social networking platform. The move, announced on September 20, 2019, is part of the company's ongoing investigation into app developers that began in March 2018 in response to the Cambridge Analytica row.
According to Facebook, the suspended apps are associated with approximately 400 developers. However, the company emphasized that the suspension is not necessarily an indication that these apps posed a threat to users.
Earlier this year, Facebook agreed to pay a record-breaking $5 billion fine to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to resolve a government probe into its privacy practices. The FTC's investigation was triggered by allegations that Facebook violated a 2012 consent decree and inappropriately shared information of 87 million users with British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.
As part of its efforts to boost user data safeguards, Facebook has implemented curbs on the amount of information that third-party developers can request from platform users.
“We’re making progress. We won’t catch everything, and some of what we do catch will be with help from others outside Facebook,” Facebook said in a blog post.
