The NYT recently reported the Facebook has been allowing huge companies like Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix to see user’s private messages and friend lists.

A study found that many companies are not subject to Facebook’s usual privacy restraints. Facebook receives this information from companies that partner with it as well. This isn’t that concerning, as this is used to suggest more friend options for Facebook users. However, the tech giants who see Facebook users private information might pose a bigger threat.

Tech companies partnering with Facebook are sometimes able to see all user’s names and friend. Some are even able to read, write or delete private messages.

Both Spotify and Netflix denied having any extra access to user’s info. Facebook later denied allowing user’s info to be read without user’s permission. My take on this statement? Terms and Conditions can contain a lot of stuff no-one pays attention to. They could have hidden something in there.

Previous scandals

This comes not long after a previous scandal, which I’m sure some of you will remember. The so-called Cambridge Analytica Scandal, in which Facebook info was sold to a said company, involved the information giant gaining users personal things from Facebook. Cambridge Analytica collected information for targeted advertising of products and political candidates, and what better way to get that than from Facebook? This information scandal left people more suspicious of Facebook than ever.

Cambridge Analytica violated Facebook’s safety rules, and so distrust came in the form of inept security systems. Now, however, more than ever before, the question of Facebook selling information out rather than failing to protect it is on the table.

So what is in the future of Facebook? I can’t say. It continues to deny the accusations of selling out. Will Facebook pull through the controversy? For now, at least, it seems so.