Tip of the Hat: Facebook blocks NSA spies -- for now

Social network moves to reassure users that personal data stored on Facebook servers is safe from the prying eyes of NSA spies

Facebook has long had to defend itself against charges that it neglected the privacy of its users by sharing their personal information with advertisers and other users of the social network.

For instance, WhatsApp executives worked hard to convince users that their personal information would remain secure after the company's $19 billion sale to Facebook closes.

Now, in the wake of revelations exposed in classified National Security Agency documents leaked to reporters by Edward Snowden, Facebook must show its users that their personal data is safe from the prying eyes of government spies.

Executives of the firm this week moved quickly on that front by gathering reporters at Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters to offer reassurances that the SSL data encryption technology used for Web traffic is strong enough to prevent access by outsiders.

Computerworkd offers a Tip of the Hat to Wired's Cade Metz for an insightful look at the strength of Facebook's security technology today, and how the social network must keep moving quickly to maintain that protection.

The story, Facebook Fights Back Against the NSA Spy Machine, also describes the "awkward situation" of Internet companies like Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, which must show concern about the dangers of NSA surveillance while at the same time assuring users that their sites are safe.

Read more about data security in Computerworld's Data Security Topic Center.

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Tags privacyFacebooknsaCybercrime and HackingNational Security AgencyWhatsApp

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