Beware of the “most used words” Facebook quiz

Other Facebook apps collect similar data, but the viral nature of Most Used Words is exposing more users to such extensive data collecting, the Wired report said. They also point out that the information can be stored “on any of our servers, at any location”, which means that it could be held in locations that have much fewer controls for how it is used.

The quiz, which was created by the Vonvon company, asks: “What words did you use frequently this year on Facebook?”.

What does Vonvon do with all the data it receives? The data it is gleaning from you could be stored anywhere, including countries without rigorous protections. “Your data is the golden calf and quiz companies live and die by trading whatever they can siphon from your feed”, Anthony Karcz of Forbes reminded readers in a blog post summarizing the Vonvon controversy. The terms are found in their privacy policy, which gives the company the full permission to sell the data if the user has read it. And while it is possible on Facebook and other apps to limit what an app can access, that option it typically overlooked by users, who click through without checking the app’s privacy settings. He traced the Vonvon.me back to Korea, according to The Inquirer.

Mr Bischoff said in his Comparitech post: “Facebook is a haven for a large number of these companies and, frankly, hasn’t done enough to educate or warn users about the risks”.

The easiest way to avoid getting duped into giving away your data is to avoid Facebook quizzes altogether, Comparitech advises.

Another raged: “People, stop playing random cool-looking quizzes from companies you don’t know – especially those that ask you for a bunch of information access things to let you play, in return for a prettily designed but totally useless infographic”. “Go to the apps section of your Facebook profile – where these data miners often reside – and remove anything you don’t 100 percent trust”.

More bad news? The privacy policy says Vonvon, the creator of the app, can use “any non-personally-identifying information” provided by the user even after deleting the app.

The issue raises an alarming fact about everyday Internet users.

It claims you have given it permission to do so by reading its privacy policy. As many as 16 million people have agreed to turn over their personal information just to compile their own word mash-up, Comparitech’s Paul Bischoff wrote.