In the summer of 2019, news broke that Facebook might have leaked user data through an unexpected glitch with its systems. Reportedly, a system functionality allowed crafty users to put a phone number into a search field and, through the use of a specific algorithm, get data back about who owned that phone number.
Information that could allegedly be collected through this leak includes:
- Names
- Birthdates
- Phone numbers, of course
- Physical addresses
- Facebook ID numbers
- Facebook biographies
- And more
At the time, it was not clear how bad the data leak was, but a new report from Axios – an online technology and social media news site – has stated that roughly 533 million Facebook users could have been affected by the data leak. It is believed that American users were the most affected, with upwards of 32 million users in the U.S. possibly having had their data compromised.
Despite the size and apparent severity of the leak, Facebook has not released any additional reports or press releases to imply that the social media giant is concerned about it. A spokesperson from the company claimed all of the leaked data that was uncovered recently appears to be the same that was reportedly leaked in 2019. Because the problem has been known for almost two years, Facebook claims it has since been “fixed” and that there is no reason to suspect that further data breaches have occurred.
Although, even if Facebook is confident that it is no longer at risk of leaking more data due to the same algorithm exploit, it does not mean the company is off the hook for the original leak. Facebook users could potentially be owed compensation for the company’s severe breach of its duty to protect their data and privacy. With millions of users in America alone, it can be expected that any legal action taken against Facebook would be a large-scale class action.
At Golomb Legal, P.C., we have some of the nation’s most trusted data breach class action attorneys on staff. If your data was lost, leaked, or stolen due to a lapse in Facebook’s security, then you should speak with our team as soon as you can. We are currently hearing from Facebook users nationwide, so you don’t have to be in any particular state for us to assist you. Also, you might have the option to join a class action even if you are not certain that your data was leaked. Let us research your case and help you decide how you should proceed or if you can.
Call (215) 278-4449">(215) 278-4449 or contact us online for more information about Facebook data leak class actions. Initial consultations are free.