 The Met Police shared sensitive data about people using its website to report sexual offences, domestic abuse, and other crimes with Facebook, it has been revealed. The information, which included the type of offence being reported as well as a user's Facebook profile code, was sent to the social media giant via a tracking tool called a Meta Pixel which was being used on the police force's website. The data was sent despite the online form for victims and witnesses to report offences apparently being 'secure', according to the report in The Observer. The embedded tracking tool also sent details to Facebook about content viewed and buttons clicked on webpages linked to contacting police, accessing victim services as well as advice pages for crimes including rape, assaults, stalking and fraud. Dame Vera Baird, the former victims' commissioner, told the newspaper: 'You think you are dealing with a public authority you can trust and in fact you are dealing with Facebook and the wild world of advertising.' The Observer analysis found that Norfolk and Suffolk police forces also shared data about people accessing sensitive webpages. The Met Police said that it used the Meta Pixel facility for recruitment campaigns and would be removing them from all other pages. The Met said the Facebook facility was used to recruit officers(Picture: Getty Images) Facebook placed a Meta Pixel on the Met Police website in June this year (Picture: AP) A force spokesman said: 'Pixels have been implemented on our website homepage and career webpages to enable relevant recruitment advertising to be served to people who have indicated an interest in a career at the Met. 'At no point is the personal data inputted by an individual reporting crime ever shared with third parties. 'A Meta Pixel was placed on the Met Website in June 2023 relating to a recruitment marketing campaign and we a){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The Met Police shared sensitive data about people using its website to report sexual offences, domestic abuse, and other crimes with Facebook, it has been revealed.
The information, which included the type of offence being reported as well as a user’s Facebook profile code, was sent to the social media giant via a tracking tool called a Meta Pixel which was being used on the police force’s website.
The data was sent despite the online form for victims and witnesses to report offences apparently being ‘secure’, according to the report in The Observer.
The embedded tracking tool also sent details to Facebook about content viewed and buttons clicked on webpages linked to contacting police, accessing victim services as well as advice pages for crimes including rape, assaults, stalking and fraud.