image source |
Facebook and the corporate media are trying to downplay a glitch that exposed the personal information of 6 million users. The problem occurred with their Download Your Information tool when it was revealed that additional email addresses and telephone numbers of user contacts were automatically shared. Facebook asserts that this gap has so far been proved benign, since it occurred only between previously authorized contacts.
Nevertheless, it highlights the fact that even the leader of social media can be caught off-guard by a security lapse that can affect a huge number of people. And it isn't the first time.
As mentioned in the video below, the last Facebook security issue was slightly less than benign when the FTC investigated them for exposing users' personal details without legal consent. It's possible that this new breach could bring another investigation and possible lawsuits.