One day after The Wall Street Journal published a report that questioned the security of several popular Facebook apps, two House lawmakers penned a letter to chief executive Mark Zuckerberg looking for answers.
"Given the number of current users, the rate at which that number grows worldwide, and the age range of Facebook users, combined with the amount and the nature of information these users place in Facebook's trust, this series of breaches of consumer privacy is a cause for concern," wrote Reps. Edward Markey and Joe Barton, the co-chairman of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus.
The Journal investigation found that many Facebook applications share users' personal information with advertising networks and other Internet-tracking companies. At issue are Facebook user IDs (UID), a number that is assigned to every Facebook user that can be used to look up your name, the Journal said. It might also reveal age, location, occupation, and photos, depending on your privacy settings.
In a blog post response, however, Facebook said that the Journal exaggerated the problem and said that Facebook is working to put an end to any inadvertent data sharing.
Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Barton, a Texas Republican, however, sent a list of 18 questions they want Zuckerberg to answer no later than Oct. 27.
The congressmen want to know how many users were impacted by the privacy breaches, how many third-party apps were involved, as well as the specific nature of the information that was transmitted from third-party apps.
Markey and Barton also asked Facebook when it found out about the breaches and whether there have been similar incidents in the past. They also want to know if the data collected by third-party apps will be deleted or if Facebook will change its policies, among other things.
"We look forward to addressing any confusion that has resulted from The Wall Street Journal article and we're happy to work with Reps. Markey and Barton to answer any questions they may have," Facebook said in a Tuesday statement. "Facebook is committed to safeguarding private data while letting people enjoy meaningful social experiences with their friends."
Facebook said referring to the app incident as a breach is "curious at best."
"As our privacy policy states, when a Facebook user connects with an application, the user ID is part of the information that the application receives," Facebook continued. "We also prohibit applications from transferring user data to ad networks or data brokers, and when we receive a report that such an improper transfer has occurred, we investigate and take action as appropriate."
Facebook said it continually works with developers to protect against privacy violations.
The problem affected tens of millions of Facebook's 500 million users, the Journal said, and all of the social-networking site's top 10 apps. That includes Zynga's FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker, FrontierVille, Café World, Mafia Wars, and Treasure Isle. Also in the top 10 were Phrases, Causes, Quiz Planet, and iHeart.
The news comes five months after sites like Facebook and MySpace fixed a glitch that allowed advertising partners to see user ID information. Specifically, advertising partners received user names or ID numbers tied to member's personal profiles if that member clicked on an ad within Facebook or MySpace.
In related news, game maker Playfish on Monday released a statement that said users of its apps "can be assured of a secure game playing environment and a continued commitment to player privacy and respect."
"As a consistent corporate practice, Playfish complies with Facebook data policies and does not release any private information to third party organizations without the express consent and knowledge of its players," the company said.