The social network’s blog post this afternoon blames the security breach on a “bug” in the process it uses to make friend recommendations. Facebook improperly stored some of the matchmaking info. “As a result, if a person went to download an archive of their Facebook account through our Download Your Information (DYI) tool, they may have been provided with additional email addresses or telephone numbers for their contacts or people with whom they have some connection,” the company says. About 6M Facebook users were affected. In addition, “other email addresses or telephone numbers [were] included in the downloads, but they were not connected to any Facebook users or even names of individuals.” The company is sending emails to notify the people whose info was mistakenly distributed, and has alerted regulators in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Facebook adds that it has “no evidence that this bug has been exploited maliciously” and has not received any complaints. It also says that “the practical impact of this bug is likely to be minimal” because the info went to “people who already had some of that contact information anyway, or who had some connection to one another.” Still, the company says it’s “upset and embarrassed” and plans to “work doubly hard to make sure nothing like this happens again.”





That’s right, all you lovely FB users: laugh at me for not doing FB or Twitter, but who’s laughing now?
I don’t think anything that drastic is going to happen. A fraction of users have have a few extra phone numbers in their data export – and only numbers for people who they are connected to. But I’m sure the media will blow this out of proportion for about 3 hours.
Yeah, you’re probably right.
Still, isn’t it ironic that you signed your comment “paranoia”?
Explains the extra amount of junk email…
We can all sleep better tonight knowing how upset Facebook is about this ‘glitch’. At least, the king of social networking can rapidly notify the 6 million “who may be affected”.
I know I would feel my information is respected and kept secure at by Facebook. Why then do I not subscribe…oh right…see this story.
It’s called putting some English on the NSA ball. Spin problem here: did NSA inhale your data? Real time typing watched in realm of “suspicionless surveillance” ain’t going away with a bug post from Facebook, nice try but ball still in your court, so take them to the Hague or wherever a non-secret judicial body has eyes.
We’re laughing. At you, for not having a FB or Twitter account. Besides, I think your info is safe right where it belongs — on aol and MySpace.
Why, because you place another person’s value on whether or not they have Facebook or Twitter? You’re so cool.
Facebook is evil.
In 50 years time people are going to look back at the Facebook phenomenon and wonder how such a cynical company was able to persuade people to voluntarily part with their personal data, their photos, their buying habits, their interactions with other people and businesses – all while being constantly bombarded with marketing and advertising. And all this at the expense of time spent on genuine relationships with real people. Facebook is how you stay in touch with people you don’t want to talk to. It’s a waste of life.
I’m afraid I disagree, Fan. I think social networking websites are here to stay, as evidenced by their popularity among the older set. A generation that grew up with nothing comparable to Facebook have embraced the system, so who’s to say it hasn’t already become a societal staple?
I don’t care about the bug, seeing as I don’t have an account. Oh, and as for those fretting over the NSA leak: Was that whole thing really news to you? Were you honestly unaware the government taps cell phones and e-mail? Ever hear of the Patriot Act, or the military bill signed in December 2011? This is really nothing new.
Why would anyone give these people your real phone number? Or other real info about themselves. Do you think they do a security check on you?
If you need to change your password (or Facebook decides that you do), you’re required to give a cell phone number so that they can text you your new password. There is no other way of getting the password because they won’t email it to you for whatever reason. So users are forced to hand that information over if they want to continue using Facebook.
FB needs to stop asking for people’s phone numbers as this shows they are no better at keeping things secure than any other numb brained business.
I am also not on Facebook. I know people who do have a Facebook account though. In my experiences with them,it appears Facebook is a place where you “interact”(online anyway) with a group of people you’d never,ever wanna hang out with in real-life,LOL! Why anyone starts these accounts & gives out personal info is beyond me.
I’m former military. Through 12 years in the military I’ve established many relationships with people I don’t get a chance to hang out with as much as I’d like to. I’ve also worked overseas for the last 8 years making it difficult to stay in touch with family and friends. I spend about 3/4 of my time deployed to remote locations in a foreign country, and even though I have friends, and a steady relationship, I can’t even see them most of the time. Facebook, along with Skype, etc allows me to stay interact with all the people I CAN’T see on a daily basis.
It also allows me to find old friends I may have lost touch with.
Two years ago Facebook provided the opportunity to reconnect with my best high school friend who also joined the military out of high school, who I hadn’t seen in 15 years. Because of Facebook I got to hang out with him in real life and meet his wife and kids.
I agree that there isn’t much value in adding a bunch of “friends” you’ve never met. I don’t need to be the most popular guy on FB without a friend in real life. I do, however, see it as an invaluable medium for keeping in contact with real friends and family.
In my Opinion…
Oh please this was not a Bug, this was a planned sale of Personal Info of members to telemarketers and they got caught by the wrong lower-level of employees and this article is pre-emptive damage control to cover-up their sale of personal information that they so intensively collect then profit from.
Now we now where Snowden is LOL!
Facebook is full of shit. They don’t “inadvertently” do anything. “Security breach” is just a workaround for doing illegal shit they wanted to do anyway.
And we’ve never had privacy, people. That concept is but a fallacy.
I just can’t help but feel that Facebook is the Blackberry of social media. Was dominant for a time when there wasn’t much else out there, but neglected to change and grow with the market and now finds themselves flat-footed and desperately trying to catch up.
As for the article, I have no doubt Zuckerberg doesn’t give a sh*t about releasing personal info to telemarketers and the NSA. Thankfully the only time I head over there is when my grandma calls and asks if I’ve seen her latest Post. :)
To which social media are they desparately trying to catch up? Myspace? Freindster? Twitter? Google+ (lol)
I’m sure Zuckerberg could care less, too. I’m sure, at this point, he has very little to do with the day to day operation of the site. It’s not like this kind of thing is unprecedented. The Social Security Administration and Veteran’s Affairs Admin have “accidentally” allowed access to much more sensitive personal information multiply times in the past.
As far as releasing your phone number (which seems to be the biggest concern in this matter), if it’s a home phone 90% are listed in a phone book anyway and is pretty much public record. If it’s a cell phone, do you think AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile cares about your security?
Figured I better catch this before someone’s whole argument against my post is “Haha. You’re wrong ‘coz you spelled mulitply instead of multiple”
The grammar police can consider themselves preempted.
It is really interesting that when I grew up, people used to feel mentally superior by bragging that “they didn’t watch TV” , now in 2013 it is “I am not on Facebook” ,to give one a feeling of better self esteem. Social Media is fantastic way of keeping in touch especially for those like me who travel internationally. Before worrying about FB’s security , I would suggest running your name on Google. Nothing is free my friends,your info is out there …
No, it’s a statement saying they’ve made a personal choice not to make fake friends and not willingly give up a ton of personal info to a big corporation. Also, people with FB brag about the number of “friends” they have.
And I don’t watch regular TV anymore either. I watch rentals, box sets or online. Doesn’t make me feel superior.
Good points!! Like many things, Facebook can be abused or it can be used for good. I have also found old, lost friends and use it to stay in touch with friends who are not nearby (which is most of my friends, because I move a lot).