After a data leak at Google+, the Internet group Alphabet includes the social network for private users. Due to a software glitch, the App could have developers on the name, E-Mail address as well as employment, gender and age of users, said Google. The error had been discovered in March 2018 and will be immediately fixed.
Google entry is informed in a blog, the group found no evidence that App-would have known the developers of the gap or the data is misused. For the closure of the social network Google is planning a transition period of ten months. Until August 2019, users will have time to secure your personal data.
For internal communication in a company, Google wants to operate. In addition, the possibilities of the App are restricted to developers, to user data on Smartphones with the Google system Android to access.
The Wall Street Journal had previously reported, citing internal documents that the gap had already existed since 2015. Google didn’t abuse, there is no data, but I also have enough information to completely exclude hot in these. The group had decided in March to inform the Public about the discovery.
Potentially 500,000 accounts
Google themselves did not indicate how long the gap existed. Potentially Profiles could be up to 500,000 accounts affected. The group can make no more precise information, because Nutzungslogs would only be stored for two weeks. More than 400 Apps may have access to the interface with the data gap, it said.
The network is used according to Google, currently hardly of consumers. With the setting Google admits officially the clear defeat in the competition of the online networks with Facebook.
Larger effects for private users, it is likely that Changes to the mobile operating system Android, running on devices of hundreds of millions of people. The users would be more precise to determine which data you want to share with an App, to announced Google. Basically, less Apps would get access to call logs and SMS data. In addition, the access of App-developers in the E-Mails in Google’s Gmail will be limited-service more.
interfaces for App developers also have a Central role in the Facebook had played-data scandal Cambridge Analytica. The online network allowed App developers in 2015, also on the data of friends of a user to access. The developer of a survey App collected not only the data of participants of a survey, but also those of your friends and you filed then wrongly the data analysis company Cambridge Analytica. Facebook learned already in 2016, but with the assurance satisfied that all data were deleted and not informed the person Concerned.