Study found phone number­s given to FB for two-factor authen­ticati­on were also used to target advert­ising. SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Thursday confirmed that advertisers were privy to phone numbers given by members of the social network for enhanced security. A study by two US universities, first reported by news website Gizmodo, found that phone numbers given to Facebook for two-factor authentication were also used to target advertising. Phone numbers added to profiles, for security purposes, or for messaging were potential fodder for advertisers, according to the study. Contact lists uploaded to Facebook platforms could be mined for personal information, meaning that people could unintentionally help advertisers target their friends.

Source: The Express Tribune September 28, 2018 09:45 UTC