Slashdot Mirror
Facebook Could Be Eavesdropping On Your Phone Calls (news10.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Facebook is not just looking at user's personal information, interests, and online habits but also to your private conversations, revealed a new report. According to NBC report, this may be the case as Kelli Burns, a professor at University of South Florida states, "I don't think that people realize how much Facebook is tracking every move we're making online. Anything that you're doing on your phone, Facebook is watching." the professor said. Now how do you prove that? Professor Kelli tested out her theory by enabling the microphone feature, and talked about her desire to go on a safari, informing about the mode of transport she would take. "I'm really interested in going on an African safari. I think it'd be wonderful to ride in one of those jeeps," she said aloud, phone in hand. The results were shocking, as less than 60 seconds later, the first post on her Facebook feed was about a safari story out of nowhere, which was then revealed that the story had been posted three hours earlier. And, after mentioning a jeep, a car ad also appeared on her page. On a support page, Facebook explains how this feature works: "No, we don't record your conversations. If you choose to turn on this feature, we'll only use your microphone to identify the things you're listening to or watching based on the music and TV matches we're able to identify. If this feature is turned on, it's only active when you're writing a status update." I wonder how many people are actually aware of this.
how to turn this off????
The pendulum has swung far enough, we need take back our right to privacy. Make it the default setting and not the other way around.
On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
"God, I just don't understand how he can be such a dick. Anyway, I've gotta go, time to put my cake in the oven." Two minutes, an idle Facebook moment, and an ad for erotic cakes later...
If you choose to turn on this feature, we'll only use your microphone to identify the things you're listening to or watching based on the music and TV matches we're able to identify. If this feature is turned on, it's only active when you're writing a status update
Did the person who wrote this actually read what they wrote? If they're identifying what users are listening to and matching them to something else, then that's still a record, even if it's not an audio recording.
I gave up the Facebook app years ago. m.facebook.com gives all the functionality I need; I don't even miss it...and it takes far less data than the app.
I got my wife one of those $50 Amazon tablets recently. Removing the Facebook app increased her battery life by close to 60%. A significant part of the reason I paid the money for the Sunshine crack to own my Android phone was to get the Facebook app off my phone all together. The storage space it doesn't deserve, the battery life and bandwidth it hogs, not to mention the spying is way more trouble than Facebook is worth.
Sure, now I still have to deal with the Google and Amazon spying, but one bridge at a time.
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
It's the bomb.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
I am constantly more and more happy with my decision to tell this company to eff off and refuse to use their products at any level.
Except you probably still do. There have been numerous reports of any page with a like button creating an 'anonymous' user hash for the sole purpose of tracking people that are not signed in to facebook (or don't have the login cookie). Once you create an account or sign in, that user hash is then associated with your account.
Basically, Facebook knows a lot about you even without your expressed consent by signing in.
"Facebook Could Be Eavesdropping On Your Phone Calls"
Translation:
"Facebook Is Eavesdropping On Your Phone Calls"
After all of the egregious privacy abuses by Facebook that have already been uncovered, why this would surprise anyone is beyond me. OF COURSE they're eavesdropping on your conversations, you idiots. You should have assumed this a long time ago.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
What's the alternative?
Let's take three people, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown. They want to share pictures of cakes, share lighthearted gossip about Mrs. X's wedding, see pictures of other peoples cakes. Then you come in and make a reasoned case against Facebook, it doesn't matter what that case is: let's assume that you convinced all three, at once, to never touch Facebook again save to inform their contacts that they're leaving. They delete whatever accounts they can, and trust FB (wisely or not) to deactivate the rest and dispose of it however.
Now, Smith, Jones and Brown all turn to you and say 'Alright, no Facebook, no FB app, it's all gone. Where do I go to do all the stuff that I would have done on Facebook? Real time chat, picture hosting, messaging, silly stuff, groups. It's not the 90s so we're not using "Yahoo!" but what do we do now?'
What do you suggest to them?
Android Marshmallow gives you the option to deny specific permissions an app asks for. I was kinda surprised at how many wanted access to the microphone and camera (that weren't sound or camera apps). It's getting to the point where I'm starting to think a mute button (physically disconnects the wires to your mic) and a physical cover to slide over any camera lenses are becoming a necessity.
I use FB on my phone... via a mobile browser. One that I only use for FB. I have a separate browser I use for websurfing. I don't let the FB browser post notifications or have access to my location. I lose a few features that way, but I can still participate in "social media" without giving FB total access to my phone and life.
PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
My wife belongs to a group that set up a phpbb board to keep track of each other. It's not hard. None of them are particularly tech savvy.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
"Challenged Accepted", said Windows 10