Facebook admits phone numbers may be used to target ads

Social media giant Facebook, who is already under scrutiny for data breach scandal, admitted on Thursday that it uses the phone numbers provided by users for two-factor authenticationto target ads.

Facebook's acknowledgement came after a study by two US universities, first reported by news website Gizmodo, found that phone numbers given to Facebook for two-factor authentication were also used to target advertising.

"We use the information people provide to offer a better, more personalised experience on Facebook, including ads," a Facebook spokesperson has been quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

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"We are clear about how we use the information we collect, including the contact information that people upload or add to their own accounts. you can manage and delete contact information you've uploaded at any time."

Two-factor authentication is intended to enhance security by requiring a second step, such as entering codes sent via text messages, as well as passwords to get into accounts.

According to the study, phone numbers added to profiles, for security purposes, or for messaging were potential fodder for advertisers.

Contact lists uploaded to Facebook platforms is also mined for personal information, meaning that people could unintentionally help advertisers target their friends.

"Most worrisome, we found that phone numbers uploaded as part of syncing contacts -- that were never owned by a user and never listed on their account - were in fact used to enable PII-based advertising," researchers said in the study.

Facebook is grappling with the worst crisis in its history, vilified for not more zealously guarding the information that users share.

The Silicon Valley-based internet colossus faced intense global scrutiny over the mass harvesting of personal data by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy that worked for Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.

The company has admitted up to 87 million users may have had their data hijacked in the scandal.

(With inputs from news agencies)