Facebook Suing Developers of Malicious Chrome Extensions for Scalping User Data?

[Catt0s]

 

 

Summary

 Facebook found four malicious Chrome extensions, and is suing two of their developers. The extensions were found to have been scaping user data. 

 

The following are the extensions in question:

Quote

• Blue Messenger (A notification alert app for Facebook Messages)
• Emoji Keyboard (A shortcut keyboard app)
• Green Messenger (A WhatsApp Messenger)
• Web for Instagram Plus DM (Tools for users to DM others on Instagram)

Facebook claims the developers of the Blue and Green keyboard apps "misled users into installing the extensions with a privacy policy that claimed they did not collect personal information." The company they are suing, 'Oink and Stuff' is based in Portugal, which means they also broke Portugal’s Database Protection Laws. 

Quote

“Oink and Stuff “misled users into installing the extensions with a privacy policy that claimed they did not collect personal information.”

 

Quote

If the user visited the Facebook website, the browser extensions were programmed to scrape their name, user ID, gender, relationship status, age group and other information related to their account. The defendants did not compromise Facebook’s security systems. Instead, they used the extensions on the users’ devices to collect information.  

– Jessica Romero, Director of Platform Enforcement and Litigation at Facebook

 

 

My thoughts

I find it rare to have news like this where facebook is taking action against those harvesting data. Perhaps they want all the data to themselves, or maybe they are trying to take a step in the right direction. This also shows that Facebook (and their subsidies) are reviewing at chrome extensions and other 3rd party things that run on their services. 

 

Sources

https://chromeunboxed.com/four-chrome-extensions-malicious-facebook-sues

https://about.fb.com/news/2021/01/combating-scraping-by-malicious-browser-extensions/

[PlayStation 2]

Irony of ironies.

[WereCatf]

5 minutes ago, Catt0s said:

I find it rare to have news like this where facebook is taking action against those harvesting data. Perhaps they want all the data to themselves, or maybe they are trying to take a step in the right direction.

Obviously they want all the data only to themselves and those who pay for it. That said, they also want to appear proactive in protecting their users in a PR-move and to hopefully appease regulatory bodies around the world and thus, hopefully, either avoid any more scrutiny or at least lessen the impact of any action against the company.

[Catt0s]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

Obviously they want all the data only to themselves and those who pay for it. That said, they also want to appear proactive in protecting their users in a PR-move and to hopefully appease regulatory bodies around the world and thus, hopefully, either avoid any more scrutiny or at least lessen the impact of any action against the company.

yeah I thought it was a PR move of some kind, and I knew something was missing, and that was the selling of data. Great addition!

[GhostRoadieBL]

this may effect their anti-monopoly case being the big fish attacking smaller companies doing the same thing they are. Their saving grace is the claim the company didn't tell clients their data was being collected and sold, which is still a pot/kettle situation for FB. 

[Fasterthannothing]

[Spotty]

After the Cambridge Analytica controversy I'm not surprised that Facebook is taking this approach. If you put aside the hypocrisy of Facebook not wanting third parties collecting personal information of its users with how much personal information Facebook has on everyone, it is actually a good thing they're doing this.

[captain_to_fire]

Facebook is salty because they weren’t the ones doing it 

[soldier_ph]

On 1/17/2021 at 3:27 AM, Catt0s said:

Oink and Stuff

That sounds like a weird fetish.

 

 

Also didn't know there was someone more evil than Facebook themselves.

[Drama Lama]

19 hours ago, soldier_ph said:

Also didn't know there was someone more evil than Facebook themselves.

there Are the big coorporations collecting lots of Data and then there are small " starups " that have to show that even more is possible

[TargetDron3]

Just more evidence that big tech hates competition. 

Incoming new Facebook keyboard app in 5

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