[d_r]

"- Facebook represented that third-party apps that users' installed would have access only to user information that they needed to operate. In fact, the apps could access nearly all of users' personal data – data the apps didn't need."

Privacy/ethics issues aside, from a pure developer standpoint, isn't this just a feature? Where do we draw the line between functionality and privacy?

User A allows user B to see her data via "Friends only." User B runs app X, whose functionality includes interacting with friends. Let's say it shows on a map where each of your friends lives. App X can see the said data for the purposes of providing functionality.

Yes, I know that by strict definition this conflicts with "friends only." You now have "friends and the application executable code only." But how is this different from, say, Gmail auto-scanning my e-mail to show ads? Is it because I trust Google and don't trust $random_fb_app_developer?

Likely one concern is that this third-party developer can disrespect (or actually, not even know about) that "friends only" setting and inadvertently make the data visible to other parties.

(Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong, I loathe/distrust most FB apps as much as the next person. Just trying to think from an honest developer's shoes here.)

[_delirium]

That's one of the two bullet points where I can see a reasonable case for Facebook's side. It's slightly muddied because the app is running on Facebook where they control it, but I can sort of see an argument for apps' actions conceptually being actions of the user running them.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to Facebook on the other app-related claim as well, "Facebook represented that third-party apps that users' installed would have access only to user information that they needed to operate." Yes, Facebook could've done better on that, but fine-grained security is something nearly nobody has solved.

[cbr]

"nearly nobody"? I might even say "nobody".

[brown9-2]

It ceases to be honest when you incorrectly tell users that the apps "would have access only to user information that they needed to operate".

[rhizome]

Nevermind how they would go about determining and implementing that boundary logic.

[Bud]

Privacy/ethics issues aside, from a pure developer standpoint, isn't this just a feature? Where do we draw the line between functionality and privacy?

This is a reasonable question. Where I personally would draw the line is, "functionality" implies to me that the app would only access user info when it needs to do so for some FUNCTIONAL purpose. If the app does not need the data and is not doing anything legitimate with it, then obviously, the user's privacy should be respected and said info should not be accessed.