Many of us use social media to keep our family and friends up-to-date on our everyday lives. We don’t typically expect social media companies to keep their partners updated on our every move as well. But for some Twitter users, this is exactly the situation they’ve found themselves in. On Monday afternoon, the social media company disclosed a bug that resulted in some Twitter users’ locations being shared with an unnamed Twitter partner.
So, how exactly did this bug disclose the locations of certain Twitter users? The social network accidentally sent advertising partners location data for a process called real-time bidding. This process lets advertisers pay for space based on certain users’ locations. Twitter intended to remove the location data from what it sent to its partners but failed to do so. Affected users include those who had more than one Twitter account on an iOS device. If the user chose to share their precise location on one account, Twitter says it may have collected and shared data for the other account on the same mobile device even if that account had opted out of location sharing. Although the location data was “fuzzed” to only show a ZIP code or city, it is still unclear as to how long this location sharing took place.
According to Twitter, the location data was not retained by the partner and they have fixed the problem to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. And while affected users have already been notified by the social network, there are some steps users can take to help protect their data:
- Turn off location services. While social media is meant for sharing, there is some information, like your location, that ought to be kept private. If a cybercriminal knows where you are at a specific point in time, they could potentially use that information to your disadvantage. Consider your overall privacy and opt out of sharing your location data with social media platforms.
- Update, update, update. No matter what type of bug might be affecting a certain platform, it’s always crucial to keep your software up-to-date. Turning on automatic updates will ensure that you are always equipped with the latest patches and security fixes.
- Use a comprehensive security solution. Using a solution like McAfee Total Protection helps to add an extra layer of security in case a bug does expose your device or data.
And, as always, to stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, be sure to follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable? and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
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