Facebook intern, Aran Khana, a student at Harvard University, created an application exposing security vulnerabilities in Facebook messenger, and he was booted from the internship program as a result.
Facebook Messenger Users In Danger?
The application is designed to allow users pinpoint others using Facebook messenger exact locations. It is aptly named Marauders Map after the map in the popular ‘Harry Potter’ book series which allows its users to see locations of other students on the map. Although the App began trending almost immediately after its release, it revealed a serious error on Facebook’s part. For Khana the lack of concern for privacy among Facebook Messenger users are alarming. He is hoping that eventually users will become concerned, and Facebook can change their policy, or adopt new programming that doesn’t catalogue all of the locations of their users, “The results of the study suggest sufficient public attention may be necessary for redress of reported privacy.”
The Fate of This Facebook Intern
Khana developed the app with intention of allowing Facebook messenger app users to see exactly how they are being tracked while using the Facebook messenger application, and the response was overwhelming according to Khana, “My tool has been downloaded over 85,000 times since its release, and more than 170 global news publications linked to my post.” He goes on address the attention he received directly from Facebook. “During the first three days after release of the geo-location mapping tool, Facebook also responded by demanding that I take down the tool, which I did.”
Khana may never have the chance to work for Facebook again, but given the attention he has received for his findings, he won’t be unemployed after graduating from Harvard University…..
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