Facebook struck dozens of data-sharing deals with smartphone and tablet makers over the last decade, according to a report by The New York Times.
The newspaper revealed Sunday that Facebook had formed at least 60 data-sharing partnerships with device makers including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung over the last 10 years. Without explicit consent, these deals granted device makers access to a Facebook user's relationship status, political leaning, education history, religion and upcoming events, the Times reported.
The embattled social media giant is already facing intense scrutiny from lawmakers, regulators and users around the world over its handling of personal data and the subsequent steps it has taken to protect user privacy.
In response to The New York Times report, Facebook published a blog post late Sunday to defend its practice of sharing user's personal data with other companies.
"These partners signed agreements that prevented people's Facebook information from being used for any other purpose than to recreate Facebook-like experiences," Ime Archibong, vice president of product partnerships at Facebook, said in the blog post.
Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.