Facebook quietly deletes app from Play Store that collected user-data
What's the story
Israel-based data security app maker Onavo, which Facebook acquired in 2013, launched a new app called 'Bolt App Lock' on Android. Facebook later deleted the app from the Google Play Store after it was reported that the app unfairly collects users' app usage data. The app allowed users to lock other apps on their devices using a PIN code, a pattern, or their fingerprints.
Details
It could lock apps that contain personal photos, payment details
Even though this was not the first app of its kind, with the resources of Facebook behind it, Bolt App Lock was reportedly more polished in its functioning. "Bolt App Lock lets you lock down other apps that contain personal information, such as private photos or payment details," a report had said.
Motive
The data security app monitored users' mobile activity
However, Onavo was not primarily focusing on personal security but on monitoring users' mobile activity. The app's description on the Google Play Store said that it would "collect information about your mobile device and the apps installed on it" before sharing it with Facebook. Along with providing security, Onavo reportedly wanted to learn what new apps might be taking users' attention away from Facebook.
Information
Facebook promoted Onavo's app on its own platform
Facebook had begun advertising Bolt App Lock within the main navigation bar under the menu item "Protect." However, once the news of the app unfairly collecting user data surfaced, Facebook said that the app's release was a "small, brief test."