Facebook has suspended a US-based analytics firm while it investigates concerns about the collection and sharing of user data.

Crimson Hexagon, based in Boston, describes itself as offering “consumer insights” and has contracts with government agencies around the world, reports the BBC.

Facebook said it was looking into whether some of these deals were in violation of its policies on surveillance.

The network said it had not found any evidence so far that data had been improperly obtained.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Crimson Hexagon has "contracts to analyse public Facebook data for clients including a Russian nonprofit with ties to the Kremlin and multiple US government agencies”.

In March 2017, Facebook prohibited user data being used for government surveillance following pressure from civil liberties groups concerned about the targeting of dissidents and protesters.

"We don't allow developers to build surveillance tools using information from Facebook or Instagram,” a Facebook spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

"We take these allegations seriously, and we have suspended these apps while we investigate.”

Crimson Hexagon works with a data set that includes, according to its own website, more than one trillion social media posts take from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others. It boasts of being able to analyse more than 160m photographs posted online every day.

As well as government work, Crimson Hexagon has had deals with commercial companies including Adidas, Samsung and the BBC

BDST: 1650 HRS, JULY 21, 2018
AP