Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Facebook will stop using phone numbers for friend suggestions

Facebook will stop using phone numbers for friend suggestions

The move is an effort to improve privacy, following the social media giant's record settlement with the FTC.
Facebook will stop the practice of using phone numbers meant for two-factor authentication to suggest friends you may know. The move is part of the company's efforts to clean up its privacy practices. Reuters reported the change on Thursday, which Facebook confirmed. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Facebook was using two-factor authentication data like phone numbers and email addresses for targeted advertising, too.

Facebook stopped using phone numbers for advertising as of June and will now stop using the information to suggest people you may know, Reuters said. According to the report, it's part of Facebook's privacy settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which cost the social media giant a record $5 billion.

"Based on feedback from the privacy and security communities, we have started updating our two-factor authentication feature so that phone numbers people add here won't be used to suggest friends," a spokesperson told CNET in a statement.

It's part of a larger shift Facebook has made since it came to light in 2018 that the Cambridge Analytica political consultancy improperly accessed the information of 87 million Facebook users. In addition to its settlement with the FTC, which dealt with privacy problems beyond the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has had to comply with new privacy laws around the globe. That includes the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union, and the California Consumer Privacy Act, a comprehensive privacy law in California that comes into effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The overhaul of the use of personal two-factor authentication data will start in Pakistan, Ecuador, Libya, Ethiopia and Cambodia this week, Reuters reported, before being expanded globally in 2020.

Earlier Thursday, it was also revealed that over 267 million Facebook user IDs, phone numbers and names were exposed online. Security researcher Bob Diachenko discovered the user data on Dec. 14. The personal information was available in a database that anyone with the right web address could access.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×