4 ms·
Major iOS6 / Facebook Privacy Issue
Hi, I'm an iOS developer with a device running iOS6. I'll try to stick to the NDA, but I'd just like an answer regarding what I view as a major privacy issue. By the way, I had another account on HN but lost access to it in the transition away from clickpass.
To summarise the issue: iOS6's Facebook integration allows me to simply add a stranger's phone number and then, in most cases, retrieve their Facebook photo, URL, name and occasionally email addresses and sometimes, though infrequently, actual addresses, depending on the user's Facebook privacy settings.
Steps to recreate the issue:
1. Link your Facebook account to the device
2. Add a person's phone number
3. Go to Settings > Facebook and tap "Update Contacts"
4. Return to the Contacts app and there is a high chance that you will now have this person's photo, a link to their Facebook profile, and potentially other information, all from a phone number. Something which I don't believe can be done through any other means.
I find this to be a major breach of privacy, and I don't see how Apple or Facebook would allow this. I thought the point was to synchronise information from existing Facebook friends, not strangers.
I apologise if this is old news but I'd have thought this would be a huge issue with the tech community—particularly since it involves Apple and Facebook—and I check HN, Reddit, etc. daily.
Thank you
- st3fan 14y agoAre you saying this works for people who are not in your social network?
- scottfisher 14y agoYes. It works for anyone who has their phone number tied to their Facebook account (even if not publicly displayed) which turns out to be a lot of people. IME Facebook has all sorts of ways to convince you to give them your phone number.
- jgeorge 14y agoIm unable to duplicate this, but I'm trying because this is pretty bozotic behavior if true. When you say "add a person's phone number" you mean as a new contact in your regular phone book (since it seems that you can't add contacts to the "Facebook" group), right? I havent messed with this previously (not interested in syncing my FB friends to my phone book) so I may not be doing it right.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]