INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Facebook has been called out for allowing a number of tech companies, including smartphone manufacturers, access to a sea of data about its
users.Reports claim 60 device manufacturers, including the likes of Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and BlackBerry had partnerships with Facebook
allowing them access to user data
In return, manufacturers could offer customers features like messaging or the 'like' button.The problem with the deal, however, is that it
breaks compliance with the 2011 consent decree from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and means that manufacturers could also access the
data of users' friends, without their unequivocal consent.Shared dataAccording to the New York Times, some device makers could get data from
users' friends that believed to have blocked any and all data sharing.These partnerships are still active, even though Facebook started
toning them down a few months back.Facebook defended its position, saying the partnerships are in line with its privacy policy, with the
Unlike developers that provide games and services to Facebook users, the device partners can use Facebook data only to provide versions of
Apple, for example, says it used the partnership to allow its users to post photos to Facebook without actually bringing up the app
BlackBerry said the deal was used to give customers access to their Facebook networks and messages.
