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Sep 25, 2011

Facebook Cookie Tracks Users Even When They’re Logged Out

It's no secret that Facebook and privacy have had some issues. Take today, for example. Thanks to a modified cookie, Facebook knows where you are online—even when you're not logged into Facebook.

So says hacker Nik Cubrilovic anyway, after he discovered during a series of tests that Facebook alters its tracking cookie code the moment you log out, instead of deleting them. Then, when a user being tracked in this manner heads to a web site that contains a Facebook button or widget, the browser continues to send "personally identifiable information" back to Facebook.

"With my browser logged out of Facebook, whenever I visit any page with a Facebook like button, or share button, or any other widget, the information, including my account ID, is still being sent to Facebook," Cubrilovic wrote in a blog post describing the find today. More here.
 
 

7 comments:

Sub Radar (Mike) said...

Delete those cookies, fellas!

DWei said...

Ok, that's easily infringement of privacy right there.

Our Blog said...

Gotta hate Facebook.

Anonymous said...

There's a Chrome extension to prevent that, it's very helpful.

Michele said...

I hate facebook!

fatbloodyfinger said...

The Social Network was right.

Atley said...

Auto Delete cookies every night alreay, now i gotta do it after using facebook? lame!