Data From 100 Million Facebook Profiles Leaked Online
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A hacker and security researcher culled public information from a fifth of Facebook's user base and posted it online in a 2.8 gig torrent file, reports The New York Times. So far, only names, profile URLs and Facebook ID numbers have been released.
"Although the information in the file is freely available online through search engines and Facebook’s own directory, the organized list of names and identification numbers in it could make it easier for others to compile users’ e-mail addresses, locations or other data they have made available."
Facebook countered in a statement that users can modify privacy setting to their liking, and that all the data released was made public by users to allow other people to search for them.
"Similar to the white pages of the phone book, this is the information available to enable people to find each other, which is the reason people join Facebook. If someone does not want to be found, we also offer a number of controls to enable people not to appear in search on Facebook, in search engines, or share any information with applications."
However, privacy advocates contend that Facebook's default settings should restrict access until users specifically opt to make themselves searchable, as opposed to the other way around.
(Photo credit: Raphaël Labbé; C.C. 2.0)
