Facebook has said that up to 100 software developers may have been able to improperly access user's data despite the company having changed its policies more than eighteen months ago.
The company claims it recently discovered that some apps were able to retain access to user's personal information despite making changes to its service in April 2018.
The data included names and profile pictures of people in specific groups on the social network.
As many as 100 software developers had improper access to Facebook users' data, including their names and profile pictures, but their access was supposed to have ended in April 2018
In a detailed blog posting, the company explained how it has since removed such access and reached out to around 100 developer partners who may have been able to see the information.
The social network says that at least 11 developer partners accessed such data in the last 60 days, CNBC reports.
Facebook platform partnerships head Konstantinos Papamiltiadis says a recent security review found that some apps still had access despite changes being made last year.
'Although we've seen no evidence of abuse, we will ask them to delete any member data they may have retained and we will conduct audits to confirm that it has been deleted,' the blog states.
Papamiltiadis said the apps were 'primarily social media management and video streaming apps, designed to make it easier for group admins to manage their groups more effectively and help members share videos to their groups.'
Facebook paid a record $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in July after the agency began probing the company after political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed the data of 87 million users. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pictured
The company has not stated how many users data may have been looked at.
Facebook Group administrators can use third-party tools to manage their groups, giving apps information about its activity, but since 2018, developers no longer be able to see individual members' names, profile pictures, or unspecified other profile data.
Facebook began to restrict access to its user data by third party software developers after reports in March 2018 that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had improperly accessed the data of 87 million Facebook users, possibly influencing the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The following September, tens of thousands of apps were suspended as a result of an investigation following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
In July of this year Facebook paid a record $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission after the federal agency began probing the company as a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
WHAT IS THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL?
Communications firm Cambridge Analytica has offices in London, New York, Washington, as well as Brazil and Malaysia.
The company boasts it can 'find your voters and move them to action' through data-driven campaigns and a team that includes data scientists and behavioural psychologists.
'Within the United States alone, we have played a pivotal role in winning presidential races as well as congressional and state elections,' with data on more than 230 million American voters, Cambridge Analytica claims on its website.
The company profited from a feature that meant apps could ask for permission to access your own data as well as the data of all your Facebook friends.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix (pictured), after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump
This meant the company was able to mine the information of 87 million Facebook users even though just 270,000 people gave them permission to do so.
This was designed to help them create software that can predict and influence voters' choices at the ballot box.
The data firm suspended its chief executive, Alexander Nix, after recordings emerged of him making a series of controversial claims, including boasts that Cambridge Analytica had a pivotal role in the election of Donald Trump.
This information is said to have been used to help the Brexit campaign in the UK.
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