FB, Instagram ban web developers from using data for spying

To curb spying by authorities and other law enforcement agencies, Facebook has banned developers from using data obtained from them to provide tools that are used for surveillance.

In a post on Monday, social networking giant that also owns Instagram explained that over the past several months they had taken enforcement action against developers who created and marketed tools meant for surveillance, in violation of their existing policies.

“Our goal is to make our policy explicit. We want to be sure everyone understands the underlying policy. We also adopt policies that limit how developers, advertisers, and others can use our platform,” said Rob Sherman, deputy chief privacy officer at Facebook in the post.

According to a report in the Guardian on Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has praised the policy reform saying that written policies must be backed up by rigorous oversight and swift action for violations. “Now more than ever, we expect companies to slam shut any surveillance side doors and make sure nobody can use their platforms to target people of colour and activists,” Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties director at the ACLU of California, was quoted as saying.

Civil rights groups have raised their concerns about mass surveillance under Trump administration, and as such, this announcement from Facebook and Instagram comes as a victory for these activists.