| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of deleted Facebook photos persisting on the site for up to three years and being accessible by anyone with a link has happened again within the same organization, Facebook. The company admitted that its systems did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos remaining visible to users with direct URL links [10240]. This incident showcases a recurring issue within Facebook's systems regarding the deletion of photos.
(b) The software failure incident of deleted photos persisting on Facebook's site for an extended period despite deletion has not been explicitly mentioned to have occurred at other organizations in the provided articles. Therefore, there is no information available about a similar incident happening at multiple organizations [10240]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. Facebook's system did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos remaining accessible for up to three years [10240]. The company admitted that its systems had issues with deleting images promptly, and even after being informed of the problem, the line was that it was being fixed. This indicates a failure in the design or implementation of the system's photo storage and deletion mechanisms.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the article. Users reported that deleted Facebook photos could still be accessed by anyone with a direct URL link to the picture, even though they were not visible in the normal views of the site [10240]. This issue arose from the operation or use of the system, where deleted images were not completely removed from the system's content delivery networks, making them accessible beyond the intended deletion period. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the persistence of deleted Facebook photos for up to three years was primarily within the system. Facebook's systems were not properly deleting images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos still being accessible via direct URL links [10240]. The issue was acknowledged by Facebook, and they were working on updating their systems to ensure photos are fully deleted within 45 days of the removal request being received [10240]. This indicates that the failure was rooted in internal system processes and storage mechanisms. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the issue of deleted Facebook photos still being viewable three years later, even after users have attempted to delete them [10240].
- The problem was attributed to the systems used for photo storage a few years ago, which did not always delete images from content delivery networks in a reasonable period of time, even though they were immediately removed from the site [10240].
- Facebook admitted that its systems did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos being accessible to anyone with a direct URL link to the picture [10240].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- Users reported that deleted Facebook photos could still be accessed by anyone with a link to them, indicating a failure in the deletion process [10240].
- Facebook users relied on the 'delete' function to remove embarrassing photos, but the system did not always delete images in a timely manner, causing the photos to persist on the site [10240].
- The company acknowledged that there were problems with the systems used to remove photographs and promised to fix the issues with an upcoming system update [10240]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article does not mention any specific hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident. Therefore, there is no information available regarding hardware-related factors in this incident.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident in the article is primarily attributed to issues within the software systems used by Facebook. Specifically, the article highlights that Facebook's systems did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos remaining accessible to users with a direct URL link [10240].
- Facebook acknowledged that there were problems with their photo storage systems, which did not ensure photos were fully deleted within a reasonable timeframe, even though they were immediately removed from the site [10240].
- The incident also involved a reported security glitch that resulted in Mark Zuckerberg's private photos being taken from the site, including controversial images [10240].
- Facebook mentioned that they have been working on moving their photo storage to newer systems to ensure photos are fully deleted within 45 days of the removal request being received, with only a small percentage of user photos still on the old system awaiting migration [10240]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the persistence of deleted Facebook photos for up to three years can be categorized as non-malicious. The incident was not caused by malicious intent but rather by a technical flaw in Facebook's systems. Users reported that deleted photos were still accessible to anyone with a direct URL link, indicating a failure in the deletion process [10240]. The issue was acknowledged by Facebook, and efforts were made to address the problem through system updates and migration to newer systems to ensure timely deletion of photos [10240]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the persistence of deleted Facebook photos for up to three years was primarily due to poor decisions made by Facebook in the past regarding their photo storage systems. The company admitted that their systems did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos still being accessible by anyone with a direct URL link. This issue was acknowledged by Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder and CEO of Facebook, and the company faced criticism for not addressing the problem promptly despite being informed about it repeatedly [10240]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as Facebook's systems did not always delete images in a reasonable period of time, leading to deleted photos remaining accessible for up to three years [10240]. This failure can be attributed to a lack of professional competence in managing the photo storage systems effectively to ensure timely deletion of images.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also apparent in the article as Facebook admitted that the systems used for photo storage a few years ago did not always delete images from content delivery networks promptly, even though they were immediately removed from the site [10240]. This accidental oversight led to deleted photos persisting on the platform, causing privacy and security concerns for users. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is more temporary than permanent. The issue with deleted Facebook photos persisting on the site for up to three years was acknowledged by Facebook, and the company was working on fixing the problem by updating its systems. The article mentions that Facebook admitted its systems "do not always delete images in a reasonable period of time" and that an upcoming system update would address the issue. Additionally, it is stated that the process of moving photo storage to newer systems to ensure photos are fully deleted within 45 days was nearly complete, with only a small percentage of user photos still on the old system awaiting migration [10240]. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to the Facebook photos can be categorized as a crash. Users reported that "deleted" photographs persisted on the site for up to three years, accessible by anyone with a link to them. The company admitted that its systems "do not always delete images in a reasonable period of time" [10240]. This indicates a failure of the system to properly delete images, leading to a crash in the expected behavior of the system losing state and not performing its intended function of timely deletion. |