Are Facebook Applications A Privacy Disaster In The Making?

from the promiscuous-sharing dept

Fri, Jan 25th 2008 4:34am — Timothy Lee

I've become steadily less enthralled with Facebook applications as I've become more familiar with them. In theory, a platform strategy is a great idea -- indeed, few tech companies have been really successful without building platforms that other companies can leverage to dramatically increase the value of the whole ecosystem. But not every platform strategy will necessarily be a success. And often, the crucial thing that separates a successful platform strategy from an unsuccessful one is the ability to design a good interface between the core technology and the add-on functionality. If the interface is too limited, other companies won't be able to do anything with the platform. Conversely, if the interface is too expansive, it can allow the entire platform to descend into a chaotic mess, as shoddy add-on products can undermine the reputation of the entire ecosystem. It appears that Facebook's application platform is in danger of falling into the latter trap.

Chris Soghoian has a great post arguing that Facebook's permissive policies regarding application access to user data poses a serious threat to user privacy that could seriously damage Facebook's reputation. Soghoian says that applications are given access not just to all of a given user's information (much of which is unnecessary for the application to perform its functions) but also to a lot of information about a user's friends, many of whom will not have consented to have their information shared with random third-party applications. There's is a page buried deep in the Facebook preferences that allows users to disable your friends' applications from accessing this information about you, but the information is shared by default, and the page isn't going to win any awards for clarity. The situation poses a serious problem for Facebook. On the one hand, it has an obligation to preserve their users' privacy. On the other hand, it desperately wants to enhance the functionality of the Facebook platform and prove that it's more than a toy for college kids. An overly-restrictive privacy policy could make it impossible for anyone to develop the killer app Facebook craves. I'm not sure exactly where to draw the line, but I think Soghoian is right that the current system has too few safeguards against the misues of private information by third-party applications.

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Filed Under: facebook, platforms, privacy
Companies: facebook

28 Comments

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Nobody, 25 Jan 2008 @ 6:39am

Simple Advice
If you don't want everyone to know something, don't put it on-line.

I don't care what kind of safe-guards are in place, a shared site open to the public is never going to be "safe".
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2008 @ 6:44am

If the apps have access to personal information that is not needed, then why would it make it impossible for others to create apps that work with a privacy policy?
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Overcast, 25 Jan 2008 @ 7:37am

I find it 'best practice' to just simply avoid Facebook and Especially MYSpace.
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Hellsvilla, 25 Jan 2008 @ 7:39am

OF course...
Of course facebook apps are a privacy disaster in the making. Facebook itself is a privacy disaster....
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sonofdot, 25 Jan 2008 @ 8:00am

That's because it is a toy
The reason they're having so much difficulty proving that Facebook isn't just a toy for college students is because that's exactly what it is. You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
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neural, 25 Jan 2008 @ 9:06am

Amazed
Facebook is not amazing...the fact that the media is hyping it as the 'second coming' is amazing...is that Zuckerberg a nephew of some media big-wig?
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Buzz, 25 Jan 2008 @ 9:29am

RIP Apps
The sad thing about applications is that, as mentioned above, they were a really good idea in theory. They offer much by way of potential, and there are several applications that I like! However, the temptation was too great for many developers, and they decided to have their applications automatically invite everyone on a friend list repeatedly without the carrier's consent. I receive three "Heroes Abilities" invites from the same person every day, but I don't think he even knows it is happening.
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Ron, 25 Jan 2008 @ 9:48am

Buzz is right
There is a huge problem with controlling what an app can or can't do, and it's true that an app can spam your friends without you knowing about it. I had a problem with the Movie Quiz application, it asked to invite my friends, I clicked No, and it did so anyway. When I wrote to the developer, they responded that it was "a known bug."

Let me see, you have an app that goes to someone's contact list and, against their will, inserts itself into those contacts' environments? I am pretty sure outside of Facebook that is called a "worm."

And Facebook can't do anything to control it. I think this will be the thing that kills the platform.
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Sub Par Genius, 25 Jan 2008 @ 10:26am

I think Face Book and MySpace should merge. They would then be Face Space. Or My Book.
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Buzz, 25 Jan 2008 @ 5:09pm

No way!
Oh please no, SPG. I realize to the casual viewer, Facebook and MySpace seem very much alike (and you were just making a jest), but a merger would be the worst thing ever. There are MANY reasons I use Facebook over MySpace. MySpace offers nothing I like. Facebook is still far more professional than MySpace.
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anon, 26 Jan 2008 @ 2:10pm

Online
"If you don't want everyone to know something, don't put it on-line."

People put their email online. Maybe you do too. And none of these people want everyone to know the contents of their email.
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Chatterbox, 27 Jan 2008 @ 6:30am

Privacy. What Privacy?
I agree with Anon as far as zipping the lip or here, stifling the urge to tell-all in posts on MySpace or Facebook. And, our youth will become victims time and time again---kicks and giggles by way of seemingly childish games will imprint upon their life journey. Bad news all the way around from a developmental, social and safety perspective.

But, privacy went out the window long before these relative newcomers-- electronic medical records, drivers information, courtesy cards and so on--- privacy problems and spam, including that mystery meat sold in grocery stores, has been with us for some time.

So, protect yourself the best you can...oh, and being a good, honest joe helps.
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illegalprelude, 27 Jan 2008 @ 2:08pm

The reason I used to like Facebook over myspace was that it was clean and simple. Now, its this huge cluster fuck of everytime a friend sends something, you have to add it your profile and then send that request to twenty other people and it asks you "do you wanna post this, do you wanna do this and that" so its just random shit happening lol
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Chirag Mehta, 5 Feb 2008 @ 6:03pm

Monetizing social networks and preserving privacy
Monetizing efforts do ruffle some feathers on the way since it is intertwined with other factors such as privacy, data portability, and experience design. The Facebook's experience design keeps applications' users inside of Facebook but at the same time provide the necessary, or sometimes unnecessary, access to user's data to the application providers. This has set off some debates around privacy concerns. Access to user's data and open architecture is a key to increased adoption that can potentially lead to monetization, but Facebook needs to be careful here not to piss of the users. Compare this with Google few years back where Google made a conscious decision to keep the search results rank clean (do no evil) and that strategy paid off when Google started monetizing via AdSense. I have a detailed post on my blog http://cloudcomputing.blogspot.com/2008/02/monetizing-social-networks-and.html
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bebodevelopers, 22 Feb 2008 @ 1:14am

business application
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facebookster, 22 Feb 2008 @ 1:15am

application developers
Facebookster - We can provide a full range of facebook application strategy, design, development and marketing for your business. Facebookster
Visit now: http://www.facebookster.com"
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myidealpakistan, 22 Feb 2008 @ 1:16am

application software
Welcome to My Ideal Pakistan! The best website where you can find the best quality hot and orignal images and photos of Pakistan.Opportunity for adventure is as high as its mighty mountain ranges, with watersports, mountaineering and trekking all popular and rewarding activities.
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facebookster, 6 Mar 2008 @ 11:03pm

business services
Facebookster - We can provide a full range of facebook application strategy, design, development and marketing for your business. Facebookster
Visit now: http://www.facebookster.com"
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Facebook Developer UK, 15 Jun 2009 @ 1:39am

Facebook Developer UK
There is huge market competition between facebook application developers and facebook application. Developers have to work harder to get into market and promote their applications according to peoples view.
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BB, 14 Nov 2009 @ 6:11am

Re:
Well said, Overcast.
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Facebook Applications, 30 Mar 2010 @ 7:57am

This would be nice if it actually worked. I had my mother block me from application updates on her facebook and I still see her horoscope crap.

It would be better to just allow users to block ALL applications from showing up in their status updates for everyone. This way I don't have to ask each and every friend who uses farmville to manually block me from applications.
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Facebook Developers, 12 May 2010 @ 2:55am

Facebook Developers
Face book has chance to improve our site pro poly but why they can't improve . i am don't understand.and face book application going to peak of earn a lot of revenue
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Viewcaster, 18 Oct 2010 @ 4:55pm

Private?
Well, users of all social media really need to understand that they should never assume that any data they post (whether on a social networking site, blog or even email)is completely private. That said, it does seem like FB's continuing privacy slips might be too much to be complete coincidence.
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Online Beat Mixer, 15 Nov 2010 @ 6:55am

Wonderful information. I just posted this on twitter...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Facebook App Development, 29 Jul 2011 @ 11:00am

Facebook App Developers
Facebook apps are definitely the future of social media communication on the web. Just tweeted this...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Pakistani Actor, 23 Jan 2013 @ 1:26am

Lux Style Pakistan
We are going to start deploying this technique on our blog! thanks for the great insight.
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Mobile Apps, 16 May 2013 @ 12:56am

Worth reading this because of the social media fan.
Mobile Apps Development Dubai
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Asif Ameer, 22 May 2014 @ 2:07am

Its confusing
I think facebook privacy setting are always under doubt, just imagine few of my friends are having 2 account one is for family other is for their friends lol, if they are having trouble at the low level then forget about Facebook own settings hehe
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