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Culture

Facebook Bug Releases Millions of E-Mail Addresses, Phone Numbers of Users

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Reason Staff | 6.26.2013 9:24 AM

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Facebook has had its share of privacy-related scandals, but a recent security flaw is getting quite a bit of attention because of the number of people affected. Up tosix million Facebook users' personal email addresses and phone numbers have been exposed, and while that's a small percentage of their total user base of one billion and counting, well, STILL. Six million, man. 

In a nutshell, the bug was related to Facebook's feature that grants access to users' contact lists or address books, and it exposed personal contact information to folks who weren't necessarily friends. Just what you want to hear, right? Your private phone number may have been sent directly to a stranger's inbox, courtesy of Facebook.

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NEXT: NSA Responds to FOIA Request about Personal Information: It Would Help Our Enemies

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