They now have your address and phone number
If you keep up with the latest news about Facebook and more specifically their privacy issues then you are probably aware of their latest change that now offers Facebook Application developers access to your street address and phone number. Wait…what?! Well, that is probably what you’ve heard and instantly thought, “Oh no! Now I am going to start receiving junk mail and solicited phone calls!”. NOT TRUE!
Unfortunately, this makes for good news since over a half a billion people are on Facebook.com. The media is blowing, yet again, another Facebook Privacy change out the water and I am here to clear things up for you.
They LIE
If you are looking for your news on social media from main stream news channels, then the information you are receiving is probably way off base. Those guys have no idea what they are talking about and they skew the headlines to draw your attention and only stir up more upset people. Basically, they lie.
I have built many Facebook applications during my time and I am going to fill you in on what we have access to retrieve from your profile. The answer is nothing. We do not have access to retrieve ANY information from you Facebook profile without your consent. Should I say that again? Because I will if you need me too.
When you decide to use a Facebook application, you will be asked to authorize permission to specific data which is meant to enhance your experience while using that app. Facebook will display a nice little popup (sometimes it’s a whole web page) that lists all of the information the Facebook App is trying to receive permission to access. Don’t want them to have your phone number? Cool, deny it. However, you won’t be able to use the app. That sounds kind of crappy huh? Let me explain.
Facebook makes your life easier
You find this cool Facebook App listed in the Games category and it looks like tons of fun. You decide to give it a whirl but when trying to access the app, it asks for permission to access your name, address, and phone number. Huh? Why the heck would a game on Facebook need my name and phone number?! I am not sure but probably not for the greater good. So what do you do? Deny access and run for the hills (stay away from that app). However, what if you are shopping for Christmas gifts on a website that offers Facebook Connect. Using Facebook Connect, the checkout process asks for your name, address, and phone from Facebook. Why would a shopping cart need that information? Oh…I would have to enter that information in anyway to finish checking out, so sure, I will authorize this shopping cart access to my name, address, and phone from my Facebook profile. Now I won’t have to enter that information into the checkout process. See how that makes sense?
Final Thought
Next time you see the “Latest News” about Facebook giving all of your personal information away, don’t get caught up in the hype and do just a little real research and you will quickly learn there is no value to that story. Facebook is only trying to make the web a better and easier place for you to connect and be social. When a Facebook Application asks for access to your personal information, review it and if it looks fishy, bail. Don’t go crying to the media about Facebook. The people at Facebook are only trying to help and it is the app developer who is trying to make a fool out of you. Be safe and be smart and you will make it out of the internet alive.
Therefore i don’t give permission such facebook’s apps. First i read review about apps and if i found some useful then i give authority. Thanks for tips.
That is a good idea Rakesh. I know many people don’t understand how that whole Permission Authentication works for Apps but if they don’t want the app to have their personal information then don’t authorize them to have it. :)