Millions more Facebook users’ data was left open for anyone to access
New Scientist reports that 3.1 million users of a quiz app called myPersonality had their sensitive details left unprotected on the web.
The leaked data: Psychological test results, status updates, and personal information like age, gender, and relationship status were exposed.
Who saw the data: We may never know. While academics at the University of Cambridge intended to limit access to researchers, a username and password to view the info was listed on the code-sharing site GitHub for four years. Anyone who performed a quick Google search had a way in. It was also freely distributed to commercial researchers, not just academics.
Déjà vu: This proves the Cambridge Analytica scandal was not a stand-alone case—and there may be far more to come. Facebook announced today that 200 apps have been suspended from the site. The myPersonality app has been suspended and is currently under investigation by the social network.
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