We’ve all seen them: personality quizzes on Facebook. They’re all pretty much the same. Your balding, overweight Facebook friend posts quiz results stating that if they were a superhero, they would be Wolverine.
Although these can be fun from time to time, we wouldn’t miss them if they bit the dust.
Facebook recently updated its platform policies. The update says that apps with minimal utility, such as personality quizzes, “may not be permitted on the platform.”
According to a company spokesperson, personality quizzes and other apps will heavily be scrutinized.
“The update also clarifies that apps may not ask for data that doesn’t enrich the in-app, user experience,” wrote Director of Product Management at Facebook Eddie O’Neil in a blog post.
What does this have to do with the Cambridge Analytica Scandal?
The Cambridge Analytica Scandal occurred a few years ago when millions of Facebook users’ data was stolen. The stolen data fell into the hands of political campaigns.
At the heart of the scandal was a quiz.
A quiz was created using the Facebook app “thisisyourdigitallife.” The quiz collected data from about 87 million users. The people who took the quiz allowed the quiz to collect their data, but they didn’t know that it was going to go to aid politicians. As a result of the scandal, Facebook ended up deleting several hundred data-stealing apps.
Where do personality quizzes fit into this?
Believe it or not, personality quizzes can reveal details about your password and security questions. Quizzes can ask questions that ask for things like the name of your first pet, or who you saw at your first rock concert. Both of these are common security questions that can lead to someone logging into your account.
Facebook has also said it is revoking expired permissions for apps. Apps that haven’t used or accessed permissions from Facebook users during the last 90 days “may be considered expired.”
Is this going to make a difference?
Facebook has undergone a great deal of scrutiny over the past few years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently charged Facebook with discrimination. This, paired with the Cambridge Analytica Scandal and other data-stealing scandals, has made users cautious of Facebook.
Along with users deleting their account altogether, about 40% of users have taken a break from the social media juggernaut.
We can’t say for certain whether or not this move will remove personality quizzes altogether. We also don’t know if it will put a decisive dent in the war against data theft. This is a step in the right direction. Only time will tell if that step is a tip-toe or a leap.
