Internet giant Google has now stopped social network Facebook from compiling data about users through Gmail accounts, the company has announced.
Until now, Facebook users could use a tool on the site to determine if their Gmail contacts were using the site. But now, Google says that won’t be happening anymore.
A spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the new update is due to the fact that “users often aren’t aware that once they have imported their contacts into sites like Facebook they are effectively trapped”.
“We hope that reciprocity will be an important step towards creating a world of true data liberation –and that this move will encourage other websites to allow users to automate the export of their contacts as well,” the spokesman continued.
However, there is a work around. Users can export contact data from Gmail, and then import that data into Facebook.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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