Personality quizzes on Facebook are now a thing of the past. The company announced in a blog post that it is banning the quizzes, which have helped third-party developers collect information on its users. This comes nearly a year after its Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed many of Facebook’s data and privacy issues.
The update also bans apps from asking for data that doesn’t “enrich the in-app, user experience.”
In addition to its ban on personality quizzes, Facebook also said that apps that had not used or accessed previously approved user permissions in the past 90 days would expire.
Facebook is removing access to a number of Application Programming Interfaces for existing apps in July. New apps won’t have access until after April 30.
Although Facebook did not explicitly say that Cambridge Analytica is the reason for the updates, it is clear that it was the main catalyst for the changes.
This announcement is part of a week full of ups and downs for the already embattled company.
On Thursday, Facebook announced in its latest earnings report that it expects a $3 billion to $5 million fine from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at the conclusion of the agency’s investigation. To make matters worse, New York’s Attorney General recently announced her own investigation in regards to Facebook collecting more than 1.5 million users’ contact information without consent.
Facebook’s data and privacy issues are far from over. As the U.S. nears its next presidential election, the company will have to ramp up its policies to protect users so that history doesn’t repeat itself.
