In March, at the height of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he would investigate the activity of apps with access to large amounts of data.
The audit had a new stage completed and more information was released last Monday. According to Facebook, thousands of applications are being investigated and about 200 applications have been suspended.
They are suspected of misusing users’ data. Those responsible will have to provide explanations regarding the operation and reach of information from these apps.
The names of the suspended applications have not yet been released, but Facebook says it will take some action if it finds evidence of misuse of data. If this happens, the first step is to ban the application.
Then the social network promised that it will notify if you or your friends used the app, as well as what happened in the Cambridge Analytica case.
“We have large teams of internal and external experts who work hard to investigate these applications as quickly as possible,” Facebook said in a statement.
As The Verge recalls, the platform is focusing on apps created before 2015, when access to your information and friends was still allowed – even if they did not give you permission.
Facebook’s decision to investigate more suspicious apps is commendable (and no more than its obligation). However, the company’s situation may worsen even more as data from even more people may have been misused. In total, more than 87 million people have been affected by the Cambridge Analytica case.
