A German cabinet minister charged Saturday that Facebook's business model was based on flouting privacy laws, reported DPA.
Ilse Aigner, the consumer affairs minister, who has led recent European challenges against both Google and Facebook, specifically attacked a feature of Facebook software that encourages Apple iPhone users to upload their contacts to the Facebook website.
The result was that Facebook acquired data on people who were not its clients, the minister told Focus, a news magazine. Focus released the remarks in advance of print publication due Monday.
"If my close aides were to synchronize their iPhones with their Facebook accounts, my confidential cellphone number and e-mail address would end up in Facebook's hands without my knowing it," she said.
A therapist had complained to her that his psychology patients were urged by Facebook to "make friends" with his other patients.
"The fact that someone is seeing a therapist ought not to be a public matter," Aigner said, saying she objected to the fact that "a part of the company's profits are based on breaches of existing law."
She said her immediate demand was that Facebook cease retaining the telephone numbers of the people who are not its clients. dpa jbp bve Author: Jean-Bapiste Piggin