Facebook selling user account access to advertisers

LONDON: Social networking giant Facebook is embroiled in a new privacy row after it emerged that the firm began selling access to users accounts to business companies in a bid to bolster its profits.

Facebook is allowing companies to trawl through its 900 million users looking for email addresses and phone numbers so it can better target adverts.

According to the Daily Mail, the new move will affect consumers who have handed over personal data when they buy something, which is the majority of people given the rise of Internet shopping

Retailers will then be allowed to compare their own databases with the information on Facebook.

Facebook wants advertisers to pay for Offers

NEW YORK: Facebook said it was revamping its "Offers" service, by making companies pay for what had been free advertising until now. 

With the social network giant struggling to prove it can boost revenues, the change requires payments, starting at $5 per ad, for the deals offered through Facebook. 

"The new features will help people find the most relevant Offers, such as in their local area, and help businesses better measure the success of their Offers. Offers will remain free for people to claim," the firm announced. 

"Businesses will still be able to run Offers for a minimal budget, but ads must be created in order for people to see Offers in their news feeds. Businesses can spend as little as USD 5 per ad."