The free VPN of Facebook called Onavo has been dedicated for five years to collect private information of its users, such as installed applications or Internet browsing habits, according to a cyber security company.
It is not that this free VPN does not warn you, because in its privacy policy it clarifies that the data can be used by third parties. The problem is that more or less dissimulated Facebook tries to convince its users to install Onavo. He does it with a submenu of his own within his application for iOS and Android.
Not everyone has the submenu that leads to the Onavo installation page, but: if you open the Facebook side menu and go to the Applications section, next to the Instant Games or the QR Codes you will see a tab that says Protect. Clicking on it takes you directly to the installation of Onavo from Google Play or iTunes.
This Virtual Private Network service for iPhone and Android is of Israeli origin, although it was acquired by the company that runs Zuckerberg.
“Initially, its purpose was not only to provide private browsing through its VPN, but also to help the user reduce data consumption…”, told an information security expert.
Facebook has again strained in its privacy a new trick to spy on its users. It is not the first time that this social network and its play with privacy policies to collect all kinds of information about the habits of its users.
There is still controversy over the transfer of data between WhatsApp and Facebook, which has finally received a green light from the European Union.
Working as a cyber security solutions architect, Alisa focuses on application and network security. Before joining us she held a cyber security researcher positions within a variety of cyber security start-ups. She also experience in different industry domains like finance, healthcare and consumer products.
