1.5M Users’ Contacts Uploaded By Facebook Without Their Consent

As part of its habit (which seems to die hard), Facebook has been found uploading contact details of around 1.5 million users without their knowledge while it asked users of his or her email passwords.

The new revelation suggests that since 2016, Facebook has been “unintentionally” accumulating users’ contacts, and uploading them onto the platform when users sign up.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the news via a statement to Business Insider after a security researcher noticed the social media platform asking for new users’ email passwords upon signing up.

A spokesperson has suggested that contact information has now been deleted. Additionally, users whose information was imported are being notified by the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company.

“We’ve fixed the underlying issue and are notifying people whose contacts were imported. People can also review and manage the contacts they share with Facebook in their settings,” said the spokesperson.

For those who don’t know, previously, Facebook used to pop up a message asking users to import his or her contacts, but, stopped doing so. Nonetheless, it was still following the function of the message as suggested by the spokesperson.

Additionally, it is suggested that while the contacts were uploaded to aptly provide users with friend suggestions and more, Facebook didn’t access the details.

To recall, Facebook stopped asking for email passwords after the news went viral.

This is another addition to its data leak practices, joining the most recent leakage of around 540 million users to third parties.

Despite that, Facebook continues to strive for more features on the app such as the new Feed altogether, and the comeback of Messenger in the FB app.

However, I am not sure if the addition of new features can really help it get back the users’ trust.

What are your thoughts on the same? Comment below!