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Facebook starts to take user privacy very seriously as GDPR looms
Following weeks of controversy regarding what data Facebook collects and how it’s used, the company is jacking up efforts to make users feel more comfortable.
The moves come weeks before the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation goes into effect. GDPR sets guidelines for the how people’s personal data is collected and used, with big penalties for companies that violate them.
Facebook Inc.-owned Instagram recently made a few changes, just a week after Facebook announced a slew of new privacy protections to its own platform. Two weeks ago, Instagram announced that it would be rolling out a data download feature, which it said Tuesday is now available for the web only via this link. It will soon become available for Android and iPhone app users.
Users will need their password, and once they have submitted that and made the request, they’ll be told that within 48 hours all their data will be available in bulk and sent to them via email. That will include all photos, videos, Stories, direct messages and searches.
Facebook’s WhatsApp also announced that it was making changes in accordance with GDPR, which includes not allowing anyone under the age of 16 to use the app. When users log in to WhatsApp, they’ll be asked to confirm their age, while anyone aged 13 to 15 will need parental permission to get any further.
Similar to the bulk data download of Instagram, WhatsApp users will also be able to ask for a report of account information. The report should take about three days to download after the request has been made. The “Request Account Info” feature will not include a full chat history, although the platform has explained how this can done.
On top of this, Facebook just announced new policies that bar developers from taking a number of actions on Facebook on behalf of users. For example, they will no longer be able to RSVP to events on behalf of Facebook users or publish posts on Facebook as the logged-in user, among a raft of other new limitations.
Apps created before Tuesday this week that had those permissions can carry on until Aug. 1 and then their permission will be revoked. Various other changes were announced by the company, many of which may cause some consternation with developers. For that reason Facebook has provided a inquiry page for anyone who has been or will be impacted by the changes.
Image: Convert GDPR via Flickr
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