Facebook ’s Onavo VPN app has been dying a deadening death since it was expose as a hole-and-corner data point collection monsterlast year . The app waspulledfrom the iOS app store for violating Apple ’s rules and now Facebook has voluntarily decided to remove it from Google Play . At the very least , the move seems to signal that the societal electronic internet is becoming more cognizant of the risks its creepy-crawly privacy practices pose .
When Facebook bought Onavo in October of 2013 , it was an independent dependable VPN Robert William Service that offered user an app to help monitor their information utilisation and restrain background activities on their smartphone . Onavo was also collect market research on the time users spend on apps , the site they see , as well as their nation of bloodline , twist , and net type . Facebook recognized that all that information could be very powerful in its datum - hungry deal and shelled out somewhere around$200 millionfor the company . Most Onavo users probably were n’t aware of the change of ownership , and new adopter could easily miss that they were installing a Facebook app when they downloaded Onavo Protect .
TechCrunchfirst found that the Onavo app has been removed fromGoogle Playon Friday . For now , the app will reportedly continue to go on telephone that already have it installed but will be shut out down completely over meter . When Gizmodo asked Facebook for input , a voice assure us , “ securities industry research help company establish better products for people . We are shift our focus to reinforce - found market inquiry which mean we ’re going to end the Onavo program . ”
Like other VPN service , Onavo Protect helped users hide out their IP addresses and position from tracker by redirect their vane surfing activeness through a third - company server . While drug user may have been protecting themselves from being pass over by a company like Comcast , they were n’t always cognizant that they were ease up single access to their bodily function to one of the world ’s biggest ( and most scandal - prostrate ) data - driven technical school companies .
One reported purpose Facebook found for Onavo was monitor how its own services were perform against competitorslike Snapchat . And even before the social web bought Onavo , documents showFacebook was using the firm ’s data to see things like drug user were air more than doubly as many messages through WhatsApp as they were through Facebook ’s Messenger in April of 2013 . It seems probable that that data encouraged to Facebook grease one’s palms WhatsApp for the jaw - dropping sum of $ 19 billion in 2014 .
But when Facebookstarted usingits primary mobile app to encourage users to download Onavo Protect , its visibility was raised well and Applestepped inwith concerns about it violating users ’ privateness . Not wanting any trouble , Facebook draw the app from the iOS store but was softly using some of its code for a new research computer program in which itpaid teensa small fee to instal a exceptional research app on their phone that gave Facebook total access to their activities . When Apple retrieve out , it was enrage andrevokedFacebook ’s developer credentials that allow it to conduct internal testing on new apps .
It appears that Facebook is getting ahead of any possible trouble it could have with Google by simply shutting down the Onavo program altogether . But all the datum it collected will sure enough continue to inform Facebook decisions and it ’s ill-defined how the company ’s “ payoff - found market research ” will be conducted going forward . A honest rule of thumb with Facebook is to always expect the worst , most underarm matter you may imagine .
[ TechCrunch ]
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