Experts are warning internet users to be more careful with their private information after secret code from the popular social-networking site Facebook was published on the internet.

This is the first time that some of the site’s secret operational code has been made public. Although it does not allow hackers to access private information directly, it could help criminals close in on personal data, according to one expert.

Nik Cubrilovic, of Techcrunch.com, said: “This leak is not good news for Facebook, as it raises the question of how secure a user’s private data really is. Facebook has become such a success and has such a high profile that it has become a magnet for attacks against its systems.”

The Facebook craze has been sweeping the world, and the site now has more than 30 million users, including 3.5 million in Britain. New users registering for a profile on the site usually publish their date of birth and home town for anybody to see, and in many cases let approved friends see more personal details such as their home address and telephone number. Though this information is semi-private, criminals who become “friends” with other users have the potential to find out much more information about them.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/13/internet