Popular Facebook Apps Gather User ID

If you use Facebook but don't want your personal information leaked all over the Web, you had better make sure you don't use any of Facebook's most popular apps. Many apps on Facebook transmit varying amounts of identifying information to their own personal ad servers, even in cases when users' profiles were set to completely private.

Facebook has already disabled the accounts for some applications but most Facebook apps are written by independent developers or small companies, though, and it's not always clear whether the info being collected is even intentional.

Facebook takes a tough stance against apps that violate its terms, which limit what kind of data developers can collect. "Our technical systems have always been complemented by strong policy enforcement, and we will continue to rely on both to keep people in control of their information," a Facebook spokesperson told the Journal. The company didn't specify which apps it took action against, but did say that it has "taken immediate action to disable all applications that violate our terms."