Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into several data deals between Facebook and some of the world’s largest technology companies, further increasing scrutiny of Facebook’s business practices.
A grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two prominent makers of smartphones and devices who had entered into partnerships with Facebook, gaining extensive access to the personal information of hundreds of millions of its users.
The companies are among over 150 firms that include Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Sony that made sharing deals with the social media platform, which included access to users’ friends, contact information and other data, sometimes without consent.