Facebook reveals which companies were given special access to your data

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Facebook has been going through quite the crisis recently. Trust in the big blue social network has been severely dented and head honcho Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify in front of Congress.

Since the first reports of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has been under increasing pressure to disclose more details about what user data it shares and who with. We recently reported on the latest chapter of the scandal, which saw 61 companies being given extended access to user data. The pressure grew further when it emerged that Chinese companies like Huawei we’re getting their hands on Facebook user data.

In response to the growing pressure, Facebook has decided to release a list of the companies, which you can see below, that were granted special access to user data.  Each company had, according to the BBC:

“… been given a temporary exemption to a block on apps accessing details about users’ friends.”

The 61 companies Facebook allowed special access to your data

ABCSocial, ABC Television Network

Actiance

Adium

Anschutz Entertainment Group

AOL

Arktan / Janrain

Audi

biNu

Cerulean Studios

Coffee Meets Bagel

DataSift

Dingtone

Double Down Interactive

Endomondo

Flowics, Zauber Labs

Garena

Global Relay Communications

Hearsay Systems

Hinge

HiQ International AB

Hootsuite

Krush Technologies

LiveFyre / Adobe Systems

Mail.ru

MiggoChat

Monterosa Productions Limited

never.no AS

NIKE

Nimbuzz

NISSAN MOTOR CO / Airbiquity Inc.

Oracle

Panasonic

Playtika

Postano, TigerLogic Corporation

Raidcall

RealNetworks, Inc.

RegED / Stoneriver RegED

Reliance/Saavn

Rovi

Salesforce/Radian6

SeaChange International

Serotek Corp.

Shape Services

Smarsh

Snap

Social SafeGuard

Socialeyes LLC

SocialNewsdesk

Socialware / Proofpoint

SoundayMusic

Spotify

Spredfast

Sprinklr / Sprinklr Japan

Storyful Limited / News Corp

Tagboard

Telescope

Tradable Bits, TradableBits Media Inc.

UPS

Vidpresso

Vizrt Group AS

Wayin

What does this all mean?

This special access was granted after May 2015, when Facebook updated to a more restrictive system. Until then app developers were able to request Facebook data including name, gender, birthdate, location, photos, and page likes. The new system enacted a more stringent review process and removed access to friend’s data, but the above companies were given an exemption, of up to 6 months from the May 2015 deadline, before having to sign up to the system.

Facebook hasn’t explained why the 61 companies were given the extra time before having to comply with the new, stricter rules.

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