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Facebook Bug Exposed Contact Information Stored On Profiles

Facebook has admitted to a bug that exposed millions of users' contact information inadvertently.
iStockphoto.com
Facebook has admitted to a bug that exposed millions of users' contact information inadvertently.

Facebook has discovered a bug that compromised contact information for millions of people. The company estimates that about 6 million users had email addresses or telephone numbers inadvertently shared with others they have a connection to.

CNN explains how the accidental sharing occurred:

"The bug, which has since been repaired, was part of the Download Your Information tool, which lets Facebook users export all the data from profiles, such as posts to their timeline and conversations with friends. People using the tool may have downloaded inadvertently the contact information for people they were somehow connected to."

Facebook adds that the addresses or numbers were shared only with one person "in almost all cases," and that the information was accessible only to people on Facebook — not to developers or advertisers.

"It's still something we're upset and embarrassed by, and we'll work doubly hard to make sure nothing like this happens again," the company says.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Dana Farrington is a digital editor coordinating online coverage on the Washington Desk — from daily stories to visual feature projects to the weekly newsletter. She has been with the NPR Politics team since President Trump's inauguration. Before that, she was among NPR's first engagement editors, managing the homepage for NPR.org and the main social accounts. Dana has also worked as a weekend web producer and editor, and has written on a wide range of topics for NPR, including tech and women's health.