When you add a Facebook application, it asks you for access to a host of information. If you agree, then you can add the app. If not, no app. Straightforward, right? Well, that depends. Let’s take a closer look at an app authorization pop-up:

Access to my info and photos? Sure. Access to other stuff it needs to work? Fine. Access to my friends’ info? Yup, no problem. In a nutshell, Facebook is telling me what information the app might need, and is also asking my permission before proceeding, as it should. I’ve go no qualms about this aspect of Facebook – in fact, the application authorization process is done exactly as it should be done.

But what happens if we reverse the roles? Consider Frank the Facebook user. Frank uses Facebook every once in a while, and being a popular guy, has a lot of Facebook friends. But what happens when Jane, one of Frank’s friends, adds a sweet new application (let’s call it X) to her profile? Well, X can now access Frank’s information, because Frank is best buddies with Jane. “What? I didn’t allow this app access to my info!”, Frank exclaims. Doesn’t matter, because Jane allowed it. And that’s all it takes.

So what kind of information about Frank can application X access? That depends. The application privacy page on Facebook has this to say:

3. When a friend of yours visits an application or authorizes it, the information that the application can access includes your friend’s friend list and information about the people on that list.

Thus it can access some information about you. Please note that applications are obligated only to act upon the request of your friend and must respect all of your existing privacy settings.

To control which types of information are available to friends through applications, please visit the Settings tab on this page.

Looking under the Settings tab, we can see a list of all the information a Facebook application can have access to:

Now that’s a lot of information, application X’s access to which someone else (Jane) approved. If Frank had all the boxes checked in his settings, application X could access all of those drunken photos taken at Frank’s party last week. Not good.

I checked my application privacy settings age a few hours ago, and was shocked at all the information that was freely available to applications. I’m not sure which boxes are checked by default, but I could’ve sworn I’ve never touched these settings before. Either way, I urge each and every Facebook user that reads this post to go to the well-hidden Settings->Privacy settings->Applications->Settings page in Facebook and review their settings post-haste.

(title link opens in iTunes)

The reality is that you can probably count the number of iPhone apps over $10 that sell really well on your hands.

Exactly, and it’s a shame.

Top Paid / Top Grossing

1. Geared (0,79 €) / MobileNavigator Nordics (49,99 €)
2. Playman Track & Field (0,79 €) / MobileNavigator Europe (99,99 €)
3. Camera Genius (0,79 €) / TomTom Western Europe (99,99 €)
4. Civilization Revolution (3,99 €) / TomTom Nordic (69,99 €)
5. Pajatzo (0,79 €) / The Secret of Monkey Island: SE (5,99 €)
6. Sonar Ruler (0,79 €) / CoPilot Live Europe (79,99 €)
7. UNO (3,99 €) / UNO (3,99 €)
8. I Am T-Pain (2,39 €) / TomTom U.S. & Canada (79,99 €)
9. Moto X Mayhem (0,79 €) / Need For Speed Undercover (3,99 €)
10. Need For Speed Undercover (3,99€) / Civilization Revolution (3,99 €)

Finland may not be the largest Phone app market out there, but there are nonetheless some interesting points to be made here. While GPS applications are clearly the highest grossing, the only apps that appear in both sections are games priced at 3,99 € (Civilization Revolution, UNO and Need For Speed Undercover). Not a single 1 $/0,79 € app or game is in the “Top Grossing” section, but cheaper games are beating more expensive but also more well-known game franchises in the “Top Paid” section.