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Google+ Bug Exposes Non-Public Profile Data for 52 Million Users

posted by takyon on Wednesday December 12 2018, @03:56PM   Printer-friendly
from the social-servers dept.

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Google+ bug exposes non-public profile data for 52 million users

Two months after disclosing an error that exposed the private profile data of almost 500,000 Google+ users, Google on Monday revealed a new leak that affects more than 52 million people. The programming interface bug allowed developers to access names, ages, email addresses, occupations, and a wealth of other personal details even when they were set to be nonpublic.

The bug was introduced in a release that went live at an undisclosed date in November and was fixed a week later, Google officials said in a blog post. During the time the bug was active, developers of apps that requested permission to view profile information that a user had added to their Google+ profile received permission to view profile information about that user even when the details were set to not-public. What's more, apps with access to users' Google+ profile data had permission to access non-public profile data that other Google+ users shared with the consenting user. In all, the post said, 52.5 million users are affected.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by ilsa on Wednesday December 12 2018, @04:42PM (3 children)

    by ilsa (6082) on Wednesday December 12 2018, @04:42PM (#773508)

    When are these companies going to start being held accountable for these fuck ups? If they want to hover in data like there is no tomorrow, they should be responsible for it. If they are unwilling to be responsible, they should not be allowed to carry on.

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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 12 2018, @06:06PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 12 2018, @06:06PM (#773570)

    You want guarantees? Sign a goddamn contract.

    Otherwise, caveat emptor.

    If you're embarrassed by your poorly shaped body, quit walking around naked on your front porch.

    • (Score: 5, Funny) by maxwell demon on Wednesday December 12 2018, @08:26PM

      by maxwell demon (1608) on Wednesday December 12 2018, @08:26PM (#773651) Journal

      You think if you stop walking, your body shape gets better? :-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.

    • (Score: 2) by ilsa on Thursday December 13 2018, @08:07PM

      by ilsa (6082) on Thursday December 13 2018, @08:07PM (#774110)

      Typical Anonymous Cower talking out of their ass.

      I have zero control of the data that Google hoovers in. Google does not give you the option to sign such a contract with them. If I had a lawyer write up such a contract, would _Google_ sign it? No, they wouldn't.

      So what are my options then, dumbass? Sue a multi billion dollar company that has more lawyers than I have cells in my body?