Facebook Denies It Collects Telephone Telephone In Addition To Sms Information From Phones Without Permission

After an Ars Technica report that Facebook surreptitiously scrapes telephone band as well as text message information from Android phones as well as has done thence for years, the scandal-burdened fellowship has responded that it alone collects that information from users who convey given permission.

Facebook’s public statement, posted on its press site, comes a dyad of days after it took out total page paper ads to apologize for the misuse of information past times third-party apps every bit it copes with fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal (follow the floor every bit it develops here). In the ad, founder as well as primary executive officeholder Mark Zuckerberg wrote “We convey a responsibleness to protect your information. If nosotros can’t, nosotros don’t deserve it.”

The company’s reply to the Ars Technica story, however, struck a different tone, with Facebook titling the post “Fact Check: Your Call as well as SMS History.” It said “You may convey seen around recent reports that Facebook has been logging people’s telephone band as well as SMS (text) history without their permission. This is non the case,” earlier going on to explicate that telephone band as well as text history logging is included with an opt-in characteristic on Messenger or Facebook Lite for Android that “people convey to expressly concur to use” as well as that they tin plough off at whatever time, which would also delete whatever telephone band as well as text information shared with that app.

Ars Technica has already amended its master copy postal service with a reply to Facebook’s statement, maxim it contradicts several of its findings, including the experience of users who shared their information with the publication.

“In my case, a review of my Google Play information confirms that Messenger was never installed on the Android devices I used,” wrote Ars Technica information technology as well as national safety editor Sean Gallagher inward the amendment to his post. “Facebook was  installed on a Nexus tablet I used as well as on the Blackphone 2 inward 2015, as well as at that spot was never an explicit message requesting access to telephone phone band as well as SMS data. Yet at that spot is telephone band information from the goal of 2015 until belatedly 2016, when I reinstalled the operating scheme on the Blackphone 2 as well as wiped all applications.”

In its statement, Facebook said “Contact importers are fairly mutual with social apps as well as services every bit a way to to a greater extent than easily honour the people yous desire to connect with. This was starting fourth dimension introduced inward Messenger inward 2015, as well as subsequently offered every bit an choice inward Facebook Lite, a lightweight version of Facebook for Android.”

When people starting fourth dimension sign upward for Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android or log into Messenger on an Android device, they come across a concealment giving them the choice to continuously upload contacts every bit good every bit telephone band as well as text history. Facebook added that on Messenger, users are thence given iii options: to plough the characteristic on, “learn more” for to a greater extent than information or “not now” to skip it. On Facebook Lite, they acquire 2 options: plough it on or skip. If users who opted inward modify their minds later, Facebook said they could plough it off inward the app’s settings, with the choice of turning off continuous telephone band as well as text history logging spell keeping contact uploading enabled or deleting all contact information they’ve uploaded from that app.”

An icon included with Facebook’s statement.

Facebook emphasized inward bold text that it “never sell this data, as well as this characteristic does non collect the content of your text messages or calls.”

Even though the opt-in screens practise soil that granting permission volition “continuously upload info” most contacts as well as telephone band as well as text history, it is arguable that many users don’t actually empathise what that way as well as that instead of maxim “this lets friends honour each other on Facebook as well as helps us practise a amend experience for everyone” (a message sweetened with a saccharine cartoon of a figure texting a piffling heart), Facebook should actually last giving to a greater extent than details most what just volition last recorded as well as why.

With the Cambridge Analytica scandal soundless fresh on everyone’s minds, Facebook’s apparent willingness to house the onus for protecting personal information on users who already experience victimized is unlikely to assist them regain whatever goodwill. But fifty-fifty people who genuinely empathise the implications of the characteristic as well as chose to opt-in anyway did thence assuming that their information would last guarded every bit Facebook promised. As the Cambridge Analytica fiasco threw into abrupt relief, that hasn’t ever been the case.

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