Facebook data leak: Three users sue company in the US

Mark Zuckerberg-led social media giant Facebook continues to be embroiled in trouble as three users of its Messenger app sued the company yesterday. 

The users alleged that the Facebook violated their privacy by collecting logs of their phone calls and text messages.

The lawsuit has been filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, United States. The complainants seek a class action on behalf of all affected users.

Facebook reels from a scandal over its handling of personal data. On Sunday the company acknowledged logging some users’ call and text history but clarifying that the same was done only if and when Android users opted in.

Facebook has also noted that it does not collect the content of calls or text messages, and that information is securely stored while no data is sold to third parties.

Almost all British national newspapers on Sunday carried a full-page apology from Facebook in the wake of the data privacy scandal. The apology was signed by Mark Zuckerberg who stated that "This was a  breach of trust, I am sorry we didn't do more at the time. We are now taking steps to make sure that this doesn't happen again. 

In the apology, Zuckerberg claimed that a quiz, developed by a university researcher, "leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014".

"We have already stopped apps like this from getting so much information. Now we're limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook," the ad read.

Zuckerberg-led Facebook has lost over $50 billion in market value since the allegations surfaced.

(With inputs from agencies)