Facebook Accused of Misusing the Phone Numbers

Facebook Accused of Misusing Phone Numbers

Facebook users have found that a phone number they added to their account for the sole purpose of two-factor authentication can be used to look up their account by advertisers and strangers.

Two-factor authentication is becoming more common with the accounts that we use every day, especially our social media accounts. This two-factor authentication is supposed to be used to ensure the security and privacy of your data, but what if that phone number was being used to find you?

That's exactly what Jeremy Burge, founder of Emojipedia, tweeted on Friday. His tweets shoulder that people can find your Facebook profile using the phone number users input for two-factor authentication. The worst part, Burge said, is that you can't opt out.

This comes almost a year after Facebook said it stopped allowing people to search for profiles by phone numbers, and about five months after Gizmodo found that the phone number being used for two-factor authentication was also being provided to advertisers for targeted posts.

The tying of users' phone numbers with targeted advertising and searches puts security and privacy at odds, according to CNET, potentially driving people away from an important feature that protects user accounts from takeovers.

In a tweet from Alex Stamos, Facebook's former chief information officer, Stamos explained that Facebook "can't credibly require 2FA for high-risk accounts without segmenting that from search & ads." 

The company acknowledged the issue, but declined to say whether it planned on keeping two-factor authentication phone numbers and search separated. 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

  • Where AI Meets Human Judgment

    Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. It is driving business growth, shaping consumer experiences, and showing up in places most of us never imagined just a few years ago. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities