Facebook was originally collecting an amount of this data through Onavo Protect, a VPN service that it acquired back in 2013. It is suggested that the data Facebook has collected through these methods has helped it to spot current or future competitors, which then allows them to acquire or clone them. The Facebook Research app was removed from the App Store about 6 months ago after Apple complained about it violating its guidelines on data collection. If you’re concerned about your security online, make sure you take a look at our advice on how to stay safe when using the internet.
