Facebook’s “Most Used Words” App Accused Of Stealing Personal Data

“Most Used Words On Facebook” App Collects Lot Of Your Personal Information

Facebook newest application not only wrecks personal space but is making users wondering if it’s worth it. The “What Are Your Most Used Words on Facebook?” app created by a South Korean company named Vonvon displays a “word cloud” based on your frequently used words in past status messages, and assembles them into a picture that shows the most common ones in a larger size. The application might seem like fun at first, but UK-based VPN company Comparitech warns that it is a “privacy nightmare.”

According to Comparitech, which first reported the privacy issues says that the app has been shared over 16 million times. The site wrote “That’s over 16 million people who agreed to give up almost every private detail about themselves to a company they likely know nothing about.”

In order to make the application work, basically you need to grant the application access. In other words, when a Facebook user signs up to use the app, he or she agrees to give the “What Are Your Most Used Words on Facebook?” app permission to collect your IP address, profile picture, age, friends list, posts, posts you are tagged in, birthday, education history, hometown, likes, photos and more. This data can be stored on Vonvon’s servers anywhere across the world.

There is growing concern among Facebook users after they have discovered that the applications needs additional access to personal stuff like photos, posted movies and even conversations. While the application is quite invasive by nature, no one spared a thought to think if sharing your personal data is worth the trouble.

“We may continue to use any non-personally-identifying information in accordance with this Privacy Policy (e.g., for the purpose of analysis, statistics and the like) also after the termination of your membership to this WebSite and\or use of our services, for any reason whatsoever,” says Vonvon’s privacy policy. “Vonvon processes Personal Information on its servers in many countries around the world. Such information may be stored on any of our servers, at any location.

While there is no clarity as to what the site is doing with the information, but it makes clear that it can sell the information to anybody that it wants without giving you any notification and that simply using the app means that you have given your permission for them to do so.

Once it has sold that data on, it gives no protection for how it is used. The privacy policy “does not apply to the practices of entities Vonvon does not own or control, or to individuals whom Vonvon does not employ or manage, including any third parties to whom Vonvon may disclose Personal Information”, the terms read.

While we are not sure if this application is worthy to access our Facebook profile, one thing is clear though that one has to be extra cautious and be doubly sure before allowing any application to access your Facebook profile.