Data Exposed on Amazon Cloud Service: Facebook Has Messed Up Again

Data Exposed on Amazon Cloud Service: Facebook Has Messed Up Again

Facebook is in trouble again.

  • By Anas Baig
  • Apr 05, 2019

Facebook, the world's most popular social media platform, is again in trouble. The third-party Facebook app developers have uploaded the personal information of millions of Facebook users on publicly accessed cloud servers. The data which was meant to be protected was available for easier access for anyone searching the web.

This major data breach was uncovered by a cyber-security research firm UpGuard. According to the researchers of UpGuard, they have found the data of millions of Facebook users online that have been uploaded by a Mexican social media company known as Cultura Colectiva. The data included usernames, IDs, and activities of users on the platform and that too in the plain sight.

The personal data of Facebook users including their identities and personal photos were also found on another Mexico-based app, the Pool. This app was created for the sole purpose of helping people to meet with each other and is no more functional since 2014.

After the confirmation of data breach by the Mexican sites, UpGuard has sent notifications to both Cultura Colectiva as well as Amazon about the violations of data privacy. The notice was sent earlier in January but no action was taken by the said platforms after which the security team contacted Facebook on Wednesday.

As soon as Facebook was contacted about the violation, all the data on Amazon was secured instantly while the data on the Pool went offline silently. Though Facebook has taken immediate action it is still uncertain how many people have already accessed the information from cloud servers and how much of the data is used illegally.

This is not the first time Facebook is held guilty of handing over the data to third-party app developers. There were several instances in the past when Facebook data was found with various researchers and advertisers. Facebook is already under constant criticism since the 2016 election when the data of approx. 87 million Facebook users were accessed by Cambridge Analytica for Trump Election Campaign and this present major data breach by Mexico-based social media sites has further worsened the situation.

Facebook has recently revised its data protection policies and has assured that there will be no transition of users' data to any third party. They claim that they strongly prohibit the storing of Facebook data on any public platform and have taken immediate action when it came to their notice. But whether it is a mistake or intentional breach, this major data breach has made every Facebook user concerned about their data protection and social media security.

According to UpGuard, Facebook seems to be incompetent in controlling its vast network and needs to take some serious security measures for the protection of its users` data from any leakage and unauthorized use. People all over the world are curious about what will be the stance of the app developer over the situation? Whether they will be able to defend themselves? What is the future of Facebook?

About the Author

Anas Baig is a Security Journalist covers most of the Cyber Security & Tech news. He is a security professional and writer specializing in Science and Technology, with a passion for dinosaurs, archaeology, robots, cars and animals great and small.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 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

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.