WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |Facebook Applications a Hidden Danger

Facebook Applications a Hidden Danger

Like a growing number of professionals, I am a new Facebook user; one just experiencing the joys of reconnecting with friends, responding to their messages, and posting pictures.

And like my kids, who have been Facebook users for far longer, it seemed to me to be nothing more than a guilty pleasure of the internet age, complete with access to horoscopes, games, witty quotes and outrageous photos.

But as with everything involving the internet, life on Facebook or any other social network, appears more complicated.

Cyber-security expert Chris Malinowski of Long Island University at CW Post puts it this way: "Why would anybody give me something cool to run on my computer for free? And the answer is- to gather statistical information."

Malinowski, the former head of the NYPD's computer crimes unit, warns specifically about downloading so called Facebook "applications"--things like games, "gifts", virtual bookshelves, etc.

These applications seemed harmless to 22 year-old Melissa Morris.

She added them to her Facebook page to make it more fun.

But according to Malinowski, by doing so, she and other facebook users could be exposing the personal information on their page and in their computer to outsiders.

That's because these applications are run, not by Facebook, but by outside companies- "developers," in the parlance of the Facebook world. When you download the applications, says Malinowski, you are giving access to these outsiders.

"It's almost like inviting a guest into your home and saying have a run of the house," says Malinowski. "If they don't have any respect for your home, they'll do damage."

Facebook does post a warning that you are supposed to read before accepting the applications; but, like many, Morris never paid much attention to it.

"I thought my personal data was all protected by Facebook," she says.

Facebook's response: "Our goal at Facebook has always been to provide a trusted environment for our users and we are continuously focused on safeguarding user information. Through the Application Privacy page, users have total control of what data is accessible to the applications that they or their friends interact with on Facebook. Also, for the safety and security of our users, third-party developers building on Facebook Platform are subject to technical and policy restrictions that strictly prohibit the collection and storage of user data."

Malinowski urges Facebook users to be more judicious in their downloading of these "applications."

"People using technology should be aware of the dangers of technology," he says.

The best protections- install virus and firewall tools to keep track of what's coming into and going out of your computer.