‘Log in with Facebook’ feature lets web trackers scoop data
What can Facebook legally do with your personal info?
How to protect yourself online. Bob Massi provides insight into data and privacy practices.
Marketing firms may have abused a Facebook Login feature to secretly track users over the internet, according to new research.
The problem involves the “Login with Facebook” function, which—as its name suggests—lets you log into websites with your Facebook credentials rather than having to create separate accounts across the web.
However, researchers at Princeton University claim Facebook Login is susceptible to abuse. They detected online web trackers piggybacking on it to collect Facebook user IDs and email addresses.
“When a user grants a website access to their social media profile, they are not only trusting that website, but also third parties embedded on that site,” the researchers said.
