Moves app changes privacy policy post-acquisition to share user data with Facebook

Himanshu Arora

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moves facebook privacy policy

Just a few days after it was acquired by Facebook, the always-on fitness tracking app Moves has updated its privacy policy to allow broader sharing of user data with the social network and other affiliates. The Wall Street Journal was the first to spot the change yesterday.

“We may share information, including personally identifying information, with our Affiliates (companies that are part of our corporate groups of companies, including but not limited to Facebook) to help provide, understand, and improve our Services”, the updated policy says.

This is in complete contrast with the old policy which said that the company doesn't disclose an individual user’s data to third parties without consent, unless compelled by a law enforcement agency. Another point worth noting is that the old policy said it would stay in place even if Moves were acquired.

Immediately after the acquisition, a Facebook spokeswoman said the two companies wouldn't commingle data, but that changed yesterday.

Facebook hasn't had a liked past when it comes to privacy policies. Back in January 2013, Instagram, the popular photo sharing app that the social network acquired in 2012, updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to share more data with its parent company.

In February, Facebook acquired mobile-messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion. Although the social network assured that WhatsApp wouldn’t share information with them, it said that the app's policy could change in the future.

The change in Moves' privacy policy has not gone down well with Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “It’s still a loss of privacy, but they’re covering it up with semantics”, he said. “This raises very disturbing privacy concerns". He plans to raise the issue in today's meeting with the Federal Trade Commission.

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I think everyone saw this coming. That's why people have to be more vigilant about their "registrations".
 
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