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Facebook Will Shut Down Its Spyware VPN App Onavo (techcrunch.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the gig-is-up dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Facebook will end its unpaid market research programs and proactively take its Onavo VPN app off the Google Play store in the wake of backlash following TechCrunch's investigation about Onavo code being used in a Facebook Research app the sucked up data about teens. The Onavo Protect app will eventually shut down, and will immediately cease pulling in data from users for market research though it will continue operating as a Virtual Private Network in the short-term to allow users to find a replacement. Facebook has also ceased to recruit new users for the Facebook Research app that still runs on Android but was forced off of iOS by Apple after we reported on how it violated Apple's Enterprise Certificate program for employee-only apps. Existing Facebook Research app studies will continue to run, though. Onavo billed itself as a way to "limit apps from using background data and use a secure VPN network for your personal info" but also noted it would collect the "Time you spend using apps, mobile and Wi-Fi data you use per app, the websites you visit, and your country, device and network type." A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the change and provided this statement: "Market research helps companies build better products for people. We are shifting our focus to reward-based market research which means we're going to end the Onavo program."

27 comments

  1. Sssssure they will.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Facebook will shut down some of their spyware?

    Yeah, and I have this bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Cheap. Great bargain.

    1. Re: Sssssure they will.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How much? I have about tree-fiddy...

  2. kids are so sharp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they only need to see offensive behavior for a few seconds for it to be recorded &/or effect their psyche/spirit. cease fire stand down.. we can take better care of our kids all around..

  3. Sorry (not sorry) by mrbester · · Score: 1

    > "Market research helps companies build better products for people."

    Missing from the quote: "But slurping all the data gets us more profits from selling it than any product improvement can and we're annoyed that we got found out."

    --
    "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
    1. Re:Sorry (not sorry) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it was a "Facebook Research app the sucked up data about teens"..

      their discontinuing it means they've learned all they can or wanted to (not because they suddenly grew a corporate conscious, or even because they were 'caught')..

      i.e. where that age group of fb users went to (no rocket scientist or 'research app' needed here.. snapchat and tinder).

  4. Apple made a huge mistake here by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They should have made an example out of Facebook and pulled their developer certificates. Apple could have even issued a 1MB OS update that tells all users "we are nuking all Facebook apps because we discovered them stealing your private data."

    Apple still has the brand loyalty that if they did that, it would be a PR coup for them and would terrify SV into submission on obedience to their ToS.

    1. Re:Apple made a huge mistake here by jeffasselin · · Score: 1

      They did pull out Facebook’s developper certs over this, as well as Google’s. That had no impact over their apps published normally through the App Store, though.

      --
      If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
    2. Re:Apple made a huge mistake here by radarskiy · · Score: 2

      No, they pulled Facebook's enterprise certs. The developer certs were unaffected.

    3. Re:Apple made a huge mistake here by radarskiy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Pulling the developer certs would only affect public users of released versions of apps other than Onavo. The PR fallout would be "Apple took away my Facebook" and "Apple made an arbitrary decision just to hurt Facebook" verging on "zOMG antitrust". In addition, Onavo would keep working.

      By pulling the enterprise certs the only collateral damage is inside Facebook, since Facebook was using the same enterprise certs for the internal apps and beta testing that were actually what enterprise certs are for, and they have the advantage that this is a policy spelled out ahead of time.

  5. How on earth is this company still existing? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Anyone else would be in jail by now for these practices.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by Kuruk · · Score: 1

      Well youtube has it porn ring. What else is new.

    2. Re: How on earth is this company still existing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone else doesn't have that much money or influence.

    3. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "larceny: the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods of another from his or her possession with intent to convert them to the taker's own use."

      Law makers have been looking the other way for far too long. How it doesn't fall under some form of theft is nonsensical.

    4. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by nine-times · · Score: 2

      Any person would be in jail, but when companies do things that would put a person in jail, the worst thing that happens to corporations is that they get fined. More often, lawmakers hold meaningless hearings and then say, "Let the invisible hand sort this out." One of the main features of corporations is to reduce liability for everyone involved, but that also tends to turn companies collectively into risk-taking psychopaths.

      All it takes for reform is that we elect people interested in reform.

    5. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by bigpat · · Score: 1

      Anyone else would be in jail by now for these practices.

      Well... if they were a little more open about what they were doing I think that would be better. But when was the last time your telecom provider told you it was sucking up all your communications and selling your data in real time to a variety of marketing companies and at least one government directly and probably multiple other foreign governments indirectly.

    6. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Porn is still something I can avoid if I don't like it. At least try finding a parallel that is more than whataboutism.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 1

      I hate to sound cynical and jaded, but the system is geared in such a way that it takes a LOT of money to get elected, pretty much guaranteeing the politician has to be in the pockets of some kind of large corp, or PAC, or "interested party" (make of that what you will) which ensures big money gets taken care of way before us "little guys"

      I don't see a legal solution here to this problem either.

      --
      So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
    8. Re: How on earth is this company still existing? by astrofurter · · Score: 1

      "How on earth is this company still existing?"

      The Ivy League old boys club, plus suitcases full of cash strategically donated to totally-not-corrupt judges and government officials.

    9. Re: How on earth is this company still existing? by astrofurter · · Score: 1

      "All it takes for reform is that we elect people interested in reform."

      Those people aren't allowed on the ballot.

    10. Re:How on earth is this company still existing? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Of course there is no legal solution. Who makes the laws?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    11. Re: How on earth is this company still existing? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Zuckerberg Testifies in Congress.

      It's about the best summary I could think of.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  6. Is that code for no one is using it ? by Kuruk · · Score: 1

    Facebook doing the world a favor :)

    Or is it being botting to trend algorithms.

  7. Talk about a Oxymoron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pretty sure Facebook and a VPN doesn't go together. If your dumb enough to trust Facebook with a VPN you are truly hopeless.

  8. Facebook Will Shut Down by kaur · · Score: 1

    Facebook Will Shut Down.
    Facebook Will Shut Down!!!
    Facebook Will Shut Down?????

    Who else read the first words and was overcome with joy?

    1. Re: Facebook Will Shut Down by mino31 · · Score: 1

      I can avoid if I don't like it. At least try https://audacity.onl/ https://findmyiphone.onl/ https://origin.onl/ finding a parallel that is more than whataboutism.

  9. they will return by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sand people scare easily, but they will be back, in greater numbers