Facebook allegedly gave away confidential user information to companies
The collaborations were halted two years ago, but a jury in New York summoned documents from at least two leading manufacturers who benefited from the collaboration with Facebook.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg listens while testifying before a joint Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees hearing regarding the company’s use and protection of user data, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis(photo credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)
Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into content-sharing deals signed by Facebook with prominent mobile makers, the New York Times reported Thursday night.According to the report, which relies on several exposures from the past year, Facebook has given device makers such as Samsung and Apple, as well as Chinese companies such as Huwaei and Oppo, access to information from hundreds of millions of users. At the same time, it was revealed that more than 150 companies, including Amazon and Sony, also had access to information that was supposed to be confidential.The collaborations were halted two years ago, but according to the publication, a jury in New York summoned documents from at least two leading manufacturers who benefited from the collaboration with Facebook.The collaborations gave the companies access to the details of hundreds of millions of users. The Federal District Office of the Eastern District of New York led the investigation, and at this stage it is unclear when it began or what is its focus. The Justice Ministry and the Eastern District refused to comment on the report.In response to the New York Times, Facebook said that they "cooperate with the investigators and take the investigations seriously."
