Facebook apologises for app breakdown

Facebook has apologised to developers whose accounts and apps were accidentally disabled this week during a security crackdown.

Facebook has apologised to app developers who were locked out when a security crackdown backfired.

Numerous developer accounts and apps were accidentally disabled on Tuesday as Facebook tried to neutralise a particularly malicious app.

Usually, Facebook identifies malicious patterns, finds all apps that match the pattern, and disables them.

This time, however, the pattern matched "many of your high quality apps", according to a message posted on the Facebook developer blog.

Restoring the disabled apps and accounts "took longer than expected" because of the "number of apps affected", it said.

Facebook announced it would work to fine-tune which patterns it cracks down on in order "to verify that all apps matched are indeed malicious".

It didn't say how many people were affected, and a local representative couldn't confirm a number.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world