The controversial Facebook decision to share users’ phone numbers and addresses has now been put on hold. The developers already have some access to users ‘ private information, though with their consent. The decision to share phone numbers and addresses of users with third party App developers was taken by Facebook on Friday and it appeared on the company ‘s blog as part of information already available to developers.
Whenever users download a Facebook app, they are asked whether they are willing to share their personal information or not. The problem is that they trust the Facebook brand and consequently any app associated with it. They are also often in a hurry to load the app and don ‘t bother reading the fine print.
Rogue applications that are already on the prowl on Facebook may take advantage of the new regulations. In its latest blog post, Facebook has said it received requests from users to make the process clearer. The proposed feature has been taken temporarily offline and Facebook will get an improved version online soon.
Facebook has always been plagued with privacy concerns as the company has often made changes to the site, which exposed users ‘ personal information more than before. However, the company has always been responsive to user demands and complaints.
There have, in the past, been arguments in support of sharing sensitive data which say that information thus collected may simplify users’ shopping experience and could form the basis of several useful services.