Facebook is giving users more control over the amount of information it shares with other websites, tweaking its login and allowing users to personally choose what is shared. Facebook has long been scrutinized over privacy and security concerns, especially when it comes to who the company shares personal information with, and how much control users have over their personal details.
"With the new Facebook Login we introduced last year, it's easier for people to control the information they share with your app," said Facebook in a blog post.
"The new Login gives people the option to opt out of the permissions apps request — so it's important to build a Login experience that works well for people no matter what permissions they grant or decline."
The Facebook Login tool was first announced last year, and it will be actualized this week. The upgrade will essentially give users the option to edit the info they provide. Many popular apps are already using the new login system, and over the next few weeks, Facebook will automatically turn on the system for every app that uses Facebook to login.
Facebook added that there's a chance that apps might crash if users change the information they share with that app. If this happens, it means the developers behind the app have not prepared for the update, and that the app still relies on information shared by the user in order to work properly. It's however unlikely that this will occur with most major apps.
Unfortunately, the new tool won't allow users to take back information they've already shared with apps. Users can change the permissions that are tied to specific apps, but that will only stop Facebook from sharing more information. Apps will retain information they received in the past.
The company has also instated a team to review apps that ask for more information than what is already publicly available.
The move is a big step forward when it comes to privacy with Facebook. While in the past, the company has envisioned a world where people share all types of information with each other, the social media network has come to recognize that privacy is important to users. Facebook has clearly paid attention to the users willing to deactivate their Facebook accounts over these concerns.
