Facebook Nixes Access To Chats Outside Of Messenger Walled Garden (arstechnica.co.uk)

Tom Mendelsohn, reporting for Ars Technica: Some smartphone users of Facebook are reporting that they're no longer able to access their messages from the mobile site, and that they're being directed towards the free content ad network's dedicated Messenger app. Users of the regular Facebook mobile app were shunted over to Facebook Messenger to access their chats a while ago. Now, folk who access the service on their phone's Web browsers, or via third-party apps such as Tinfoil or Metal, are beginning to find that they can no longer view their messages. Complaints are popping up from users who are being told by Facebook that "your conversations are moving to Messenger." Some Android users are even finding themselves automatically redirected to the download link on the Google Play store when they try and view their messages on the mobile site.

Comments

Nothing to see.

[Frosty Piss]

You use a free service you have to accept their structure and design. Seriously, I'm tired of all the bitching about Facebook, don't like it, don't use it.

Re: Nothing to see.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bitching is how you get them to change it, just like how you're bitching to get others to change their behaviour.

Re:I'm curious...

[Geeky]

The apps are huge battery hogs - Facebook on Android is one of the worst offenders. Removing it virtually doubled my battery life.

Permissions

[phorm]

When it installing Messenger, it "needs" access to
* Identity
* Contacts
* Location
* SMS
* Phone
* Media/Photos
* Camera
* Microphone
* Wifi connection info
* Device and call info

Basically, EVERY bit of sensitive data on my phone. There was a recent radio broadcast where they were able to determine that FB was checking your location multiple times per second (whether or not you were using the app).
So yeah, no f'ing way that PoS app is getting installed on my device.

Remember when others started this?

[Opportunist]

Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, they all tried to eliminate competitors by disallowing using competing messaging systems together with theirs.

In other words, FB is working on making itself as obsolete as these market leaders once were. Took them shorter than I gave them, actually.

Garbage

[fieldstone]

The point where Facebook forces me to install software on my phone that drains my battery is the point where I stop using Facebook messenger entirely. Obnoxious but typical. I don't know why anyone is surprised at anything they do after their "real name" policy that actually puts LGBT people and abuse victims in physical danger.

Mobile sites more secure than social apps

[dwheeler]

Mobile sites tend to be far more secure for users than social apps (you can say "privacy" instead if you want, though many people don't understand the difference). Most social apps, like this one, want total ownership of your phone - and therefore they own you. They demand access to your microphone, camera, location, contact list, and everything else. Big Brother never got so much data. In contrast, the websites don't get access to all that stuff. Facebook doesn't pay me enough to completely give up all my privacy.