Facebook Purges Russian Firms’ Accounts
On the day Facebook came clean about purging American accounts, perhaps the biggest one yet, it also revealed that 66 apps, pages, and accounts associated to Russian firms working on facial recognition for the Russian government were removed for good.
Facebook pinpointed that accounts associated with Fubutech and SocialDataHub were removed, largely for violating its policies i.e. scraping data from Facebook’s network for ill intents and purposes.
In a cease-and-desist letter for SocialDataHub by Facebook, dated Tuesday, the social media giant highlighted how it believed that the firm worked for the Russian government. Additionally, it gave the firm and its sister company, Fubutech, until Friday to come clean about what data they had taken, and delete it all immediately.
This scenario illustrates a new reality for the social media giant. Seeing how Fubutech and SocialDataHub have been around for four years, leeching off Facebook’s data to build its own products, it does not bid well for the social media giant’s reputation.
With Facebook looking into its products amidst public outcry and scrutiny, it has found several companies indulging in activities resulting in questionable ends.
Since Fubutech and SocialDataHub resorted to web scraping for data collection, it has presented another challenge for Facebook. Basically, scraping is a technique used by computer programmers to collect information from sites. What is interesting about this technique is that it can’t be prevented, let alone detected. With scraping, any and all data can be pulled from a profile, and even about a user’s friends.
On the other hand, the chief executive of Fubutech and SocialDataHub, stated in an interview on Friday that Facebook was unfair with how it dealt with the situation. He went on to explain how the companies in question actually scrape Google for the data needed for its facial-recognition software, instead of Facebook. Furthermore, he clarified that SocialDataHub’s primary product assigns scores to Russian citizens based on their profiles on all available social media platforms; which in turn make it easier for banks and insurers to make informed decisions regarding lending and whatnot.
Facebook has refused to accept these claims and has gone on record to state that the only reason why a cease-and-desist letter was even sent was with sufficient evidence in place.
Whatever the case may be, there is no denying the fact that this incident and Facebook reviewing its third-party apps this late in the game will not fare well for its reputation. But then again, taking its reach and popularity into account, Facebook users will continue to use the platform, albeit being a bit more cautious about what information they share with the social media platform.
All in all, be it Facebook or Twitter, it is best for users to avoid sharing their private and confidential information so freely. Additionally, if they want to continue using said platforms, they should do so by using a reliable VPN without fail, like Ivacy VPN for instance.
