Facebook Sues Maker of Advertising SDK for Refusing To Participate in Audit

Facebook has filed lawsuits today in both the US and the UK against MobiBurn, a UK software company that provided advertising tools for mobile app developers. From a report: In particular, MobiBurn provided an advertising software development kit (SDK) that allowed app developers to embed ads inside their applications and monetize user behavior. But in a lawsuit filed today, Facebook claims the SDK contained malicious code that illegally collected the personal data of Facebook users. Facebook said the data was collected when users installed any mobile app that contained the MobiBurn advertising SDK. When this happened, the code would activate and collect a person's name, time zone, email address, and gender. "Security researchers first flagged MobiBurn's behavior to us as part of our data abuse bounty program," said Jessica Romero, Facebook's Director of Platform Enforcement and Litigation.

Illegally collecting personal data?

[Akardam]

That's rich...

Re:Illegally collecting personal data?

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Also, when do my businesses get to audit the suspiciously high figures Facebook claims for response levels when we advertise with them?

Re: Illegally collecting personal data?

[ToasterMonkey]

Was your company's deal with Facebook big enough to involve your company's lawyers?

No?

Then there's your answer, you're not auditing anything because you bought some ads any more than you're going to go audit some facet of 7-Eleven's business because you bought gas from them.

Re:

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

I don't know where you come from, but where I am, someone who supplied gas that wasn't up to spec would be in serious trouble with the regulators, so we wouldn't generally need to audit it.

shakedown 101

[algaeman]

Facebook requires a 30% product monetization fee.

So Facebook can now

[oldgraybeard]

put a Facebook tax and regulate businesses in other countries Cool! ;)
Ah!!! To have such power!

A new corner-boy tries a bit too much

[nospam007]

Zuck has to send the brute-squad.

Re:

[ThromaLek]

You're on the brute squad!

Pot sues kettle

[Dracos]

... For also being black.

Re: Pot sues kettle

[ArmoredDragon]

That saying was officially banned by the PC gestapo earlier this year.

Re:

[ArmoredDragon]

None. Go carry out your inquisition somewhere else.

"PC =? Pot Cettle"

[Anon42Answer]

Pot Cettle gestapo - rich lol

Facebook just broke my irony meter

[minorityreport]

“Facebook claims the SDK contained malicious code that illegally collected the personal data of Facebook users.” .. and that's our exclusive privilege.

PKB

[DriveDog]

Pot, Kettle, Black

Isn't that abuse of the legal system?

[Opportunist]

When you try to sue your competition out of existence?

How?

[DeVilla]

How was the malicious code able to collect the data they were not to have access to? Did they find a bug that allowed them to circumvent one or more security measures? Were there actual technical security measure that needed to be circumvented? Is this merely a contract violation? Security measures implemented "on paper" are not security measures. I suspect they is like circumventing security on DOS or Win95.