Facebook confirms data-sharing agreements with Chinese Tech companies

Social media giant, Facebook, recently made the revelation that it was involved in data sharing practices with Chinese technology companies. These companies also included popular smartphone maker, Huawei, which has long been subject to official investigations by American intelligence firms on security issues plaguing Huawei.

A stunning revelation

Reportedly, the Mark Zuckerburg led company stated that OPPO and Huawei were some of the names who had access to Facebook's user data after a legal agreement was signed to replicate the exact same social media experience for their respective users. According to reports, numerous concerns were raised about how the data was extracted and used without the prior consent of different users. Facebook has refuted the claims and stated that the sharing of data was to provide their users to have access to different account features on smartphones. 

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In addition to this, Facebook stated that it had terminated most of its contracts with the Chinese companies. Furthermore, it added that it would soon end its legal obligations with Huawei in order to tackle the allegations that were raised against them. Chinese media communications organisations have now come under the lens of the American intelligence authorities based on the allegations that these companies are posing a threat to the security structure of the United States of America.

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"How did Facebook ensure its users' safety?"

Senator Mark Warner stated that he wanted to understand as to how and what measures Facebook took to ensure the safety of its users' data. The Senators questions come in response to news reports of how the social media giant allowed the Chinese companies to access its API (Application Program Interface), a set routines and rules and tools used for programming software applications and also specifying on the interaction process between different components of the software. 

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg was asked to respond to the data-sharing allegations by the Senate Committee in a scandal that was a part of the ongoing probe into the alleged misuse of Facebook's users' data by British consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica.

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(With inputs from agencies)