Facebook leaks millions of phone numbers

It has been reported that Facebook has leaked the phone numbers of more than 419 million Facebook users.

Among the 419 million it’s believed that 18 million are UK users, 133 million U.S and 50 million Vietnam.

Facebook are investigating who had compiled the database and left it online unprotected.
The database of phone numbers was exposed on a web server which was unprotected and not password protected, accessible to anyone.

TechCrunch reported the issue to the web hosting company and subsequently the database was taken offline.

Up until April 2018, Facebook had a feature which allowed people to search for other users by typing in their phone number.

This feature was abused by typing in phone numbers to find out who owned them and as a result Facebook took action to switch off this feature.

It’s thought the leaked database of phone numbers may have been collected by using this search tool over a period of years. Facebook users who did not change their privacy settings after adding their phone number should assume their information was collected.

As data leaks continue to hit the headlines and make breaking news stories, it certainly makes us all question the safety and security of social media platforms.

Perhaps it’s time to reconsider which social media platforms you use or delete your Facebook account for good.