Latest Facebook bug exposed up to 6.8 million users’ private photos

By Arif Bacchus Published December 14, 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

With the latest Facebook API bug, up to 6.8 million consumers on the social network had their private photos inappropriately exposed to third-party apps. Though the issue has since been fixed, some of the apps had access to photos for the 12 days between September 13 and September 25.

Users impacted had already authorized and granted special permissions to these apps to access content from their Timeline, but the bug led developers to access photos that were uploaded but never yet posted on the Marketplace or Facebook Stories. Though Facebook isn’t specifically giving names, it says up to 1,500 apps from 876 developers were affected. Facebook also notes it had approved photos API access for these apps, issuing an apology promising more change.

Mockup of the alert (Image via Facebook) Image used with permission by copyright holder

“We’re sorry this happened. Early next week we will be rolling out tools for app developers that will allow them to determine which people using their app might be impacted by this bug. We will be working with those developers to delete the photos from impacted users,” said Tomer Bar, engineering director at Facebook.

Recommended Videos

Facebook will be alerting impacted consumers with a notification, which will then direct them to the Help Center where they can see if they’ve used any apps that were impacted by the bug. It also is recommended for consumers to individually log into apps to check and see if they’ve wrongfully obtained any photos permissions. A sample notification and interface of what consumers will end up seeing can be seen to the left.

It is not clear when Facebook first was made aware of this API bug. TechCrunch reports that Facebook discovered and fixed it on September 25, but took its time to investigate so it can warn impacted users. That report also makes it clear that photos shared through Facebook Messenger were not impacted.

This would not the first Facebook-related problem in recent months. Back in November, hackers were attempting to sell 120 million private Facebook messages, though that was related to third-party extensions. Before that, up to 50 million accounts were also compromised due to a flaw in access tokens and the “View As” feature. The social media website also apparently knew about Russia data harvesting on its platform since 2014, according to seized documents.

Former Computing Writer

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Topics

Computing

Shopping for a Back-to-school laptop? These are the laptops I’d recommend

Whether it's lectures, late-night assignments, or streaming after class, these laptops are built to make the next few years a little easier.

Best laptops for back to school 2026 featuring Apple 2026 MacBook Neo

A laptop is probably the one purchase that'll have the biggest impact on the school year. It'll be there for lectures, late-night assignments, group projects, Netflix binges, and everything in between. The trick is finding one that fits both the workload and the budget. After narrowing down the options, these are the five laptops I'd actually recommend for Back-to-School, whether the priority is getting the most value, joining the Apple ecosystem, or investing in a machine that'll comfortably last through graduation.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515

Computing

These are the compact printers I’d actually recommend for back-to-school

From dorm room paperwork to instant selfie prints, there's a tiny printer for every need.

Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware

Everything is digital until the one professor who still wants a printed essay, or the lease you need to sign in ink, or the photo you want to stick on your dorm room’s wall. That's usually the exact moment you remember you don't own a printer anymore, and the nearest one is a library machine with a line out the door.

I looked at four compact printers that solve that problem without taking over your desk and breaking the bank. Two are built for documents, one is a proper all-in-one for actual home office work, and one has nothing to do with homework and everything to do with turning your camera roll into something you can hold.

Computing

Shopping for back-to-school? These are the webcam lights I’d actually turn on before a Zoom call

From a budget clip light to a proper desk setup, there's a webcam light here for every price.

Head, Person, Face

Between online classes, group project calls, and the occasional job interview over Zoom, your webcam will be doing a lot more heavy lifting in school than it ever did at home. The problem is that most laptop cameras are bad in low light, and a single overhead bulb or a window behind you turns every call into a game of "wait, can you see me okay?"

A good webcam light fixes that faster than moving your whole desk around. I picked five, starting with the most affordable and working up to the one that's genuinely overkill for a Zoom call but still worth knowing about.