Greed is why Facebook knows when some iOS users have their rules or have to diet

Here is another example. The period and ovulation monitoring Flo Health Inc. is used by 25 million women, and the title of the app pretty much sums up its function. The data provided by the user of the application, such as information on her menstrual cycle and whether she wishes to get pregnant, are sent to Facebook. In other words, if you use this application, Facebook knows if you are ovulating or not.

The company behind the application said to the Newspaper that it sends only "non-critical" information to Facebook and that this data is "depersonalized". But as the report notes, Facebook has a way to match information with Facebook users. And when Flo sends their data to Facebook, it includes a "unique advertising ID" that can be connected to a particular device or profile. The company behind the application claims that even if it conducts an audit, it will limit the use of these data.

Another application called Realtor.com sends Facebook information about homes visited by its users. The information shared with Facebook includes the prices of the ads viewed by the user, as well as the homes checked as "favorites".

The reason Facebook collects this information boils down to one word: greed

A company called Disconnect was paid by the Newspaper to perform the tests. Patrick Jackson, technical director of the company, said that this dissemination of user information is "completely independent of the functionality of the application". And Android users could also face the same problem. The software used by the WSJ does not work on Android, but a cybersecurity company called Defensive Lab Agency has discovered that an application that sends information to Facebook from iOS users, does the same on Android. The company behind this app, BetterMe: Weight Loss Workouts, changed its privacy policy after the Newspaper contacted the policy now indicates that the app sends information to Facebook to calculate "the average weight and size of our users, the number of users having chosen a specific problem area of ​​their body and of other interactions ".

Facebook indicates that the use of the "App Events" program, present in its SDK, to collect user data is "a standard practice", and that this information is used to personalize the advertising and content. Facebook adds that it also improves the experience of a member when it uses the social network. A spokeswoman for Facebook said the company was not using sensitive information and removing some that she was receiving, such as social security numbers.

But greed is greed. Targeted advertising, which, after all, is at the bottom of this mess, is generating more advertising revenue for companies like Facebook. These advertisements are selling at higher prices because they are presented to consumers who have already shown their preference for such a product or who have a condition that a certain product could mitigate. For example, suppose that a particular Facebook user enters data into an application that puts him or her overweight. Companies that make dietetic aids would pay more to advertise this person on Facebook because it might be more receptive to marketing.