

Major iOS6 / Facebook Privacy Issue - scottfisher

Hi, I'm an iOS developer with a device running iOS6. I'll try to stick to the NDA, but I'd just like an answer regarding what I view as a major privacy issue. By the way, I had another account on HN but lost access to it in the transition away from clickpass.<p>To summarise the issue: iOS6's Facebook integration allows me to simply add a stranger's phone number and then, in most cases, retrieve their Facebook photo, URL, name and occasionally email addresses and sometimes, though infrequently, actual addresses, depending on the user's Facebook privacy settings.<p>Steps to recreate the issue:<p>1. Link your Facebook account to the device<p>2. Add a person's phone number<p>3. Go to Settings &#62; Facebook and tap "Update Contacts"<p>4. Return to the Contacts app and there is a high chance that you will now have this person's photo, a link to their Facebook profile, and potentially other information, all from a phone number. Something which I don't believe can be done through any other means.<p>I find this to be a major breach of privacy, and I don't see how Apple or Facebook would allow this. I thought the point was to synchronise information from existing Facebook friends, not strangers.<p>I apologise if this is old news but I'd have thought this would be a huge issue with the tech community—particularly since it involves Apple and Facebook—and I check HN, Reddit, etc. daily.<p>Thank you
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jgeorge
Im unable to duplicate this, but I'm trying because this is pretty bozotic
behavior if true.

When you say "add a person's phone number" you mean as a new contact in your
regular phone book (since it seems that you can't add contacts to the
"Facebook" group), right?

I havent messed with this previously (not interested in syncing my FB friends
to my phone book) so I may not be doing it right.

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st3fan
Are you saying this works for people who are not in your social network?

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scottfisher
Yes. It works for anyone who has their phone number tied to their Facebook
account (even if not publicly displayed) which turns out to be a lot of
people. IME Facebook has all sorts of ways to convince you to give them your
phone number.

