Facebook reveals it shared data with 52 companies, including Chinese firms
02 Jul 2018
Facebook has admitted to sharing user data with 52 companies, including Chinese firms, after it was revealed that it had formed data-sharing partnerships with cellphone makers, providing them access to details of users and even their friends.
Last month, The New York Times disclosed that Facebook has data-sharing partnerships with at least 60 device makers including Apple, Amazon, BlackBerry, Microsoft and Samsung over the last decade.
But the list also includes four Chinese firms that US intelligence has flagged as national security threats Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL.
The social media giant's acknowledgement came as a part of over 700-page documents provided to the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday evening. The committee released the information publicly on Saturday.
Facebook's acknowledgement of its partnerships follows a scandal involving the British political consulting group Cambridge Analytica, which was allowed to access data of up to 87 million people without their consent.
Facebook said it shared data with the companies in an effort to improve its integrations and user experience across platforms and devices.
Facebook said it has ended 38 of its 52 partnerships and will shut down those remaining by July.
Lawmakers have voiced concern about the company's data sharing agreements with Chinese firms.
"After initial review, I am concerned that Facebook's responses raise more questions than they answer," House Energy and Commerce's top Democrat Representative Frank Pallone has said.