Facebook privacy problem?

Filed Under: Data loss, Social networks

I've just seen something rather alarming on Facebook.

It looks like there's a problem with the social networking website in so much as it is showing people's full dates of birth - even when they have specifically requested that they remain hidden. I've repeated this a number of times, and made some screen captures and a video just in case it's hard to reproduce.

Hmm.. half an hour later, and this vulnerability is easy to reproduce, and requires no specialist skills. I've done it from every PC in my house now.

I've sent privacy@facebook.com an email explaining what's happening, and how to replicate the behaviour. It's getting late - I'm going to bed, and hopefully they will have responded by the morning.  In the meantime, I would recommend you consider changing your date of birth to something made-up.

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About the author

Graham Cluley is senior technology consultant at Sophos. The readers of Computer Weekly voted him security blogger of the year in 2009 and 2010, and he pipped Stephen Fry to the title of "Twitter user of the year" too. Which was nice. He was also named "Best Security Blogger" by the readers of SC Magazine in 2011. You can subscribe to Graham's updates on Facebook, follow him on Twitter and circle him on Google Plus for regular updates.