This article originally appeared in Information Security Buzz on January 3, 2019.

Popular applications are automatically sending off user information without user permission to Facebook as soon as they are opened. Privacy International has pointed out this backend privacy issue and says the apps send information to Facebook even if the consumer is not a Facebook user.

Expert Comments below:

Chris Olson, CEO at The Media Trust:

“While several of the actions can be attributed to analytics and performance purposes, the widespread sharing of consumer information for the purposes of enhancing the user experience is increasingly being called out. As expected, enterprises are finding it difficult to toe the line between delivering the convenience consumers expect without running afoul of data protection regulations. Considering the average mobile app has 18 SDKs, controlling the activity of each requires more than contracts and legal agreements. Each app owner is responsible for identifying all activity executed through its app and continuously ensuring it conforms to the apps policies.”