Facebook apologises after bug unblocks people who were blocked

FACEBOOK has apologised for a bug that unblocked people that users had previously blocked on the social network, potentially exposing them to abuse.

Blocking can be used to hide from view posts by fellow users that a person no longer wishes to see, but it can also help users avoid harassment, as well as keep their own content hidden from blocked people.

The bug, which affected more than 800,000 people between 29 May and 5 June, has been fixed and those affected were being notified, the company confirmed.

The admission comes amid continued , including the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Facebook also recently revealed a list of companies to whom it gave special access to data – on a larger scale than previously disclosed.

This week Facebook announced a new feature that enables users to report adverts they consider suspicious.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Facebook’s unblocking bug”