Facebook Backtracks, Now Says It Is Not Using Your Phone's Location To Suggest Friends

A report on Fusion on Monday, which cited a number of people, claimed that Facebook was using its users' phone location to suggest people to them. The publication also noted the privacy implications of this supposed feature. At the time of publishing, Facebook had noted that location was indeed one of the signals it looks into when suggesting new friends. But the social juggernaut has since backtracked on its statement with new assurances that it is not using anyone's location. In a statement to Slashdot, the company said:We're not using location data, such as device location and location information you add to your profile, to suggest people you may know. We may show you people based on mutual friends, work and education information, networks you are part of, contacts you've imported and other factors.

Comments

So just because they say it

[Anonymous Coward]

It's true? There's obvious evidence they were doing it (even if they've stopped now) and Facebook is about as honest as Hillary Clinton, so you can't believe a word they say.

Summary is wrong

[93 Escort Wagon]

But the social juggernaut has since backtracked on its statement with new assurances that it is not using anyone's location.

That's not what they said.

They don't state they're not using your location, although they're probably hoping people will read that into it. They merely made the very narrow statement that they're not using your location to suggest people you may know.

Amusing

[Bender Unit 22]

We hear people say they don't care about sharing their information or "meta data", sometimes even with the classic remark that they have nothing to hide.
But recently we have started to see stories about people being surprised when social media sites and others have started using their collected data better, it is kind of amusing.

I don't think that any of these companies all of the sudden have gotten better at mining their collected date, but rather that they choose to "turn up the dial" slowly because they need to get people used to it first and perhaps they have been a bit too quick about it recently. :)

I will respond by uninstalling it from my phone!

[damn_registrars]

Oh, wait. I can't do that. I have never had a facebook account yet the facebook app is installed on my android phone and so intertwined with non-facebook functions that I do use that I am not allowed to uninstall facebook.