Yana BermanThe phone numbers of nearly 419 million Facebook users were found online due to the company’s failure to protect its server, TechCrunch revealed on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
The server which had not been protected by password contained mobile numbers and profile IDs of 419 million Facebook users, including 133 million entries in the U.S., 18 million records in the U.K., and 50 million in Vietnam.
TechCrunch verified several records by comparing a known user’s phone number with their listed Facebook ID, and they matched. Other entries were checked via password reset feature, which shows fragments of user’s phone numbers linked to the accounts.
Reportedly some of the records also contained user’s name, gender, and location.
Facebook was involved in a major data scandal with political consulting company Cambridge Analytica since 2018 when over 87 million users' data was misused. The social media giant was then accused of data misuse, including selling sensitive personal data to third parties and fined a record $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission of the U.S. (FTC).
Privacy concerns might increase soon, following Facebook’s announcement of its highly anticipated cryptocurrency Libra in June. Libra’s blockchain is set to launch in the first half of 2020. Shortly after the announcement, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) urged its member countries, including the U.S., Japan, and China, to tighten cryptocurrency regulations.
Photo: PK Studio
