Researchers uncovered that the button still dropped cookies on users’ browsers that could track them – even when they were logged out of the service. The company wisely issued an immediate fix and made some quick PR moves.
In other privacy news, a recent lawsuit against Apple revolving around privacy was dismissed in California, and
The Wall Street Journal reported on how big brands are heading off privacy concerns before they happened – a wise move in light of recent developments.
Facebook Defends Getting Data From Logged-Out Users – WSJ –
Facebook on Monday defended its practice of gathering data from “Like” buttons even after users have logged out, saying that the collection is part of a system to prevent improper logins and that the information is quickly deleted.
- Facebook denies cookie tracking allegations – ZDNet – Facebook has denied allegations that it can track what you’re doing online even if you log out of the social network. In fact, one of the company’s engineers says Facebook cookies aren’t used for tracking at all.
- Facebook Fixes Logout Issue, Explains Cookies – Nik Cubrilovic’s Blog – I wrote a post two days ago about privacy issues with the Facebook logout procedure which could lead to your subsequent web requests to third-party sites that integrate Facebook widgets being identifiable and linked back to your real account. Over the course of the past 48 hours since that post was published we have researched the issue further and have been in constant contact with Facebook on working out solutions and clarifying behavior on the site.
Koh Dismisses Privacy Complaints Against Apple, App Makers – The Recorder –
A federal judge in San Jose has dismissed a group of consolidated privacy class actions that claimed that Apple Inc. and eight other defendants let advertisers track mobile device users' activity without permission.
Heading Off Privacy Problems—Before They Arise – WSJ –
With 'privacy-impact assessments,' companies understand how regulators and consumers will react to new products and services.
