{"id":137123,"date":"2019-05-02T19:33:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T19:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=137123"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:02:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:02:09","slug":"facebook-personality-quiz-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/facebook-personality-quiz-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook cracks down on personality quizzes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-137148\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/700_Facebook_quiz_amwx7s.jpg\" alt=\"Facebook quizzes\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve all seen them:\u00a0<strong>personality quizzes<\/strong> on Facebook. They&#8217;re all pretty much the same. Your balding, overweight Facebook friend posts quiz results stating that if they were a superhero, they would be Wolverine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Facebook\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_optimized,f_auto\/p\/8a6eafba-96d2-11e6-b334-00163ec9f5fa\/77332936\/facebook-logo.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Facebook<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/author\/facebook\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Download free \u25ba<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--70\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"70\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"7\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">7<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\"><\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/author\/facebook\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>Although these can be fun from time to time, we wouldn&#8217;t miss them if they bit the dust.<\/p>\n<p>Facebook recently updated\u00a0its <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">platform policies<\/a>. The update says that apps with minimal utility, such as personality quizzes, &#8220;may not be permitted on the platform.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to a company spokesperson,\u00a0personality quizzes and other apps will heavily be scrutinized<strong>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The update also clarifies that apps may not ask for data that doesn&#8217;t enrich the in-app, user experience,&#8221; wrote Director of Product Management at Facebook Eddie O&#8217;Neil <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/04\/25\/api-updates\/?ftag=MSFd61514f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in a blog post.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What does this have to do with the Cambridge Analytica Scandal?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-127269\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/01\/security-data-hack-700.jpg\" alt=\"massive password and email leak\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/01\/security-data-hack-700.jpg 700w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2019\/01\/security-data-hack-700-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Cambridge Analytica Scandal<\/strong> occurred a few years ago when millions of <strong>Facebook users&#8217; data was stolen. <\/strong>The stolen data\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/just-how-bad-is-the-facebook-data-breach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fell into the hands of political campaigns.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At the heart of the scandal was a quiz.<\/p>\n<p>A quiz was created using the Facebook app &#8220;thisisyourdigitallife.&#8221; The quiz collected data from about 87 million users. The people who took the quiz allowed the quiz to collect their data, but they didn&#8217;t know that it was <strong>going to go to aid politician<\/strong>s. As a result of the scandal, Facebook ended up<strong> deleting several hundred data-stealing apps.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Where do personality quizzes fit into this?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-137145\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/04\/Personality_Quiz_jvyywh.jpg\" alt=\"Facebook personality Quiz\" width=\"700\" height=\"413\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Believe it or not, personality quizzes can reveal details about your <strong>password and security questions<\/strong>. Quizzes can ask questions that ask for things like the\u00a0<strong>name of your first pet<\/strong>, or <strong>who you saw at your first rock concert<\/strong>. Both of these are common security questions that can lead to someone logging into your account.<\/p>\n<p>Facebook has also said\u00a0it is revoking expired permissions for apps. Apps that haven&#8217;t used or accessed\u00a0 permissions from Facebook users during the last 90 days <strong>&#8220;may be considered expired.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Is this going to make a difference?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-109783\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/Zuckerberg.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Zuckerberg\" width=\"700\" height=\"464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/Zuckerberg.jpg 853w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/Zuckerberg-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/09\/Zuckerberg-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Facebook has undergone a great deal of scrutiny over the past few years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently <a href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/hud-charges-facebook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">charged Facebook with discrimination.\u00a0<\/a>This, paired with the Cambridge Analytica Scandal and<a href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/facebook-stealing-app-info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> other data-stealing scandals,<\/a>\u00a0has made users cautious of Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>Along with users deleting their account altogether, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/dakota-shane\/research-shows-users-are-leaving-facebook-in-droves-heres-what-it-means-for-you.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">about 40% of users have taken a break <\/a>from the social media juggernaut.<\/p>\n<p>We can&#8217;t say for certain whether or not this move will remove personality quizzes altogether. We also don&#8217;t know if it will put a decisive dent in the war against <strong>data theft<\/strong>. This is a step in the right direction. Only time will tell if that step is a tip-toe or a leap.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-related-articles-white\">\r\n<p class=\"sc-related-articles-white__title\">More about Facebook's scandals<\/p>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"Facebook deliberately shared your data with 60 companies \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/facebook-shares-your-data\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/06\/revised-image.png)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Facebook deliberately shared your data with 60 companies \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"Facebook banned \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/facebook-banned-papua-new-guinea\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/05\/Facebook-banned-1024x576.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Facebook banned \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__row\">\r\n    <a title=\"Facebook suspends over 200 apps in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/facebook-app-suspensions\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/05\/facebook-spy-1024x576.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Facebook suspends over 200 apps in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n    <a title=\"Facebook deletes over 200 accounts and pages linked to Russian troll farm \u25ba\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/facebook-deletes-over-200-accounts-and-pages\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__article\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__image\">\r\n        <div style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/04\/facebook-257829_1280.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-related-articles-white__text\">\r\n        <p>Facebook deletes over 200 accounts and pages linked to Russian troll farm \u25ba<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Personality quizzes may be leaving Facebook in an attempt to protect our data.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9180,"featured_media":137147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[1015],"tags":[2353,1672,1059,1908,1624,1988],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-137123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-app-subdomain-redirectionfacebook","tag-data","tag-facebook","tag-personal-data","tag-privacy","tag-scandal"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137123"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":326154,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137123\/revisions\/326154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137123"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=137123"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=137123"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=137123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}