Privacy on Facebook further challenged; applications transmit personal information to tracking companies

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Several of Facebook’s most popular applications have been transmitting personal information to multiple advertising and Internet tracking companies

Some applications are transmitting “Facebook ID” numbers, which are assigned to each user on Facebook, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. Anyone can look up a Facebook profile by utilizing the ID number associated with that account, even when users set their profile information to private. Applications are software programs often made by third-party companies which allow users to play games and share information with one another

The practice of selling user information is a breach of Facebook’s policies.

“That makes me want to not play those games,” said Sterling Heights freshman Kelli Kulasa. “That’s my personal profile information — it makes me want to make a new profile.”

She said she has been playing a game called FrontierVille on Facebook for a couple of months.

FrontierVille is made by Zynga Game Network Inc., the company that also made the FarmVille and Texas HoldEm applications. With more than 125 million users among just those three, Zynga sells its users’ Facebook ID numbers in addition to information about users’ friends’ profiles, according to the WSJ report.

“I think (Facebook) should have to increase security, that’s people’s personal stuff,” Kulasa said. “It’s not fair. It’s kind of like cheating — they get special information about people. If companies can do that, what about stalkers and stuff?”

According to the investigation, 70 percent of Facebook users utilize apps each month. Facebook is cracking down on app companies found to be in violation of policies, the report states and Facebook’s top ten most-used apps have been found to sell user information to third-party advertising and Internet tracking companies.

Those applications include FarmVille, phrases, Texas HoldEm, FrontierVille, Causes and Cafe World, among others.

Alan Rudy, associate professor of sociology, said the selling of personal information will lead to an increase in targeted advertising.

“I don’t know if there’s any legal issue involved,” he said. “At the same time, I have a good number of friends who have now not only gotten off FarmVille and other applications, but blocked them.”

Rudy said students should be careful about what information they post on social media websites, especially in the event their profiles are accessible to advertising and Internet tracking companies.

“If you don’t want your information out there on the Web, don’t put it up there,” he said.

Rochester Hills senior Natalie Smith said it is troubling application companies are selling profile information, but she is not surprised.

She said the practice is immoral and creepy.

“I think it’s bad,” she said, “but it’s something you have to expect if you’re going to use a company that’s about making profits and not really about protecting your interests.”