Facebook is once again involved in a controversial situation regarding privacy issues. The company has confirmed that thousands of developers have been able to access data from inactive users, which is an unexpected behavior.
After the Cambridge Analytica crisis in 2018, Facebook established new guidelines that prevent developers from receiving data from users who haven’t used a third-party app connected to the social network for more than 90 days.
As users can connect third-party apps with Facebook, developers can have access to personal information from those who have such apps linked to a Facebook account. As noted by Engadget, the company didn’t say how long this security breach was active or how many users were affected.
Facebook claimed the issue was fixed as soon as it was discovered and that no additional information was shared besides what the user had authorized in privacy settings while the Facebook account was still active.
The company also reinforces its privacy policies to ensure that developers understand their responsibility to user data.
You can read more about Facebook’s developer policies here.