In recent years, Facebook executives have granted access to their users' data to certain advertising companies, according to internal emails revealed in a recent lawsuit.
The social media was secretly processing user data for advertising purchases and business promotions. The problem was triggered by Six4Three.
Essentially, Facebook is accused of giving more rights -than it should- to certain companies and not complying with Federal Trade Commission regulations, which stipulate (since 2011) that the social network is not allowed to grant access to users' personal data to third-party developers.
Some of the companies that Facebook has partnered with (or still partners with) are: Lyft, Tinder, Amazon, Airbnb and Royal Bank of Canada.
Of course, the giant, for its part, denies the accusation.
Unfortunately for Facebook, the thousands of pages of court records, which it is struggling to keep sealed, illustrate the clever strategies the social network uses to build its advertising empire.
Following the Cambridge Analytica, lawmakers have repeatedly questioned Facebook's relationships with data partners.
The emails between Facebook executives were published Wednesday by the news site Ars Technica. The company did not dispute the authenticity of the documents but said the exhibits in the case were secretly used to paint a misleading picture of decision-making at the company at a time when it is drastically limiting the information that app developers can collect.
It is worth noting that the Facebook court case focuses on a period when the company was gradually cutting off free access to app who received large amounts of personal data from its users. The giant had stated that it would permanently cut off access. Unfortunately, the Cambridge Analytica scandal has caused great controversy.
The trial took on new life last weekend when government agents in the United Kingdom seized digital copies of thousands of documents from Mr. Ted Kramer when he traveled to London last week.
But what is the relationship of this gentleman with Facebook?
Kramer’s company, Six4Three LLC, was the creator of Pinkinis, an app that allowed users to find photos of Facebook users wearing bikinis. The app was built using Facebook data, which Six4Three and thousands of other developers have access to through an API. The data feed allowed Six4Three to match photos of Facebook users in bikinis who are or were friends or friends of friends with Pinkinis users.
Spotify, Tinder and many other dating and gaming apps , as well as the Obama campaign and Cambridge Analytica, are among the developers and organizations that have accessed or obtained data from the API, which Facebook has offered to developers for free since 2007. The API gave developers access to users' friend networks and Facebook posts, which companies used to find and acquire new customers.
For years, Facebook encouraged developers to create apps that made people spend more time on the platform. After the rise of smartphones, Facebook finally became big enough to not have to rely on developers for engagement and ideas.
In 2014, Facebook suddenly announced that it was restricting developer access to the API, citing privacy concerns from users who complained that their data was being shared with third parties without their consent.
Six4Three claims that privacy wasn't the reason Facebook restricted the API. Facebook realized it could use the data stream to its advantage, to pressure businesses to buy advertising that would fuel the company's business.
Facebook says none of the companies listed in the documents other than Amazon still have access after 2015.
Ted Kramer also claims that Facebook knew that developers were receiving data that violated its privacy policy and the 2011 authorization order.
Facebook denies the allegations of violating the order. This privileged access was discussed among Facebook executives as early as 2012, according to the email.
In another email exchange in 2013 about Amazon access, an employee told colleagues that they would only grant Amazon permission to use the API if it met their demands.
Another employee responded that because Facebook was in the process of restricting the API, the company would need to reach an agreement.
Ultimately, Amazon retained access to Facebook user data because it was an “enterprise partner” that hosted Facebook apps on its platform and not simply an app developer.
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