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Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

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Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#111

Post by awqrre »

Aoyagi wrote: post #97
awqrre wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if they implemented correctly, it doesn't mean that they didn't add a backdoor for the government.

To quote him: "I was very closely involved for the integration, had full access to the source code, did plenty of review, and have a lot of confidence in the engineers that are maintaining it. There are plenty of engineers in the world who are capable of inspecting the binaries they're distributing, so it would be incredibly risky of them to inject surveillance code client side."

I guess that the governmenet doesn't even need a backdoor in the Facebook app... Since Google has admin privileges on your device and is in bed with the NSA, they could go that route instead.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#112

Post by neo2006 »

Google have access to all your mails, web search, documents, travels, habits... Facebook have access to your friends, family, pictures... And you guys worry about them listening to your conversation...I mean most of the info they gather with that they already have them by other means

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#113

Post by hellbanner »

Herald_MJ wrote: post #108

Can't speak for Android, but on iOS it is not possible for an app to "listen" to your microphone unless it is in the foreground, and you have explicitly given the app permission to do this (the first time the app attempts to do so). It can also be revoked at any time without removing the app. The only way around this restriction would be using a private API Apple could have provided. Given that Apple has even integra…

You mean when they removed their warrant canary a few years ago under the guise of "new security policy"?

When they were found to be tracking GPS positions even with GPS disabled? (Sorry it's impossible to find a link to this anymore)

How about the Bluetooth vulnerabilities their desktop computer suffer -- I've seen keyboard connections trivially hijacked.

I'm not suggesting that Apple has made a deal with Facebook (I think you're right on not being incentivized to do this), but to say Apple is "pretty good" at protecting a user's privacy, I question that.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#114

Post by hellbanner »

onewaystreet wrote: post #5

No. This is one of those tech urban legends that keeps popping up. Facebook does have an opt-in feature that can identify what music, tv show or movie you are listening to or watching, but that's it. http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/05/a-new-optional-way-to-sh... https://www.facebook.com/help/iphone-app/369513256545845

As recent as of a couple years ago, Facebook's android app required access to your text messages to read texts. They were reading every text you sent & received just for some fancy Facebook linking.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#115

Post by madmax96 »

Herald_MJ wrote: post #108

Can't speak for Android, but on iOS it is not possible for an app to "listen" to your microphone unless it is in the foreground, and you have explicitly given the app permission to do this (the first time the app attempts to do so). It can also be revoked at any time without removing the app. The only way around this restriction would be using a private API Apple could have provided. Given that Apple has even integra…

It'd be interesting if there were a party with a JailBroken iPhone and the Facebook App installed who would check the network traffic.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#116

Post by nutmeg »

Another anecdotal-data-of-sample-size-one, my wife was at a bar and struck up a conversation with another person to whom she had no connections. After she left, Facebook suggested this person as a friend.

The other person may have searched for her on Facebook, causing her to be listed as a possible friend. Or perhaps Facebook uses location data to group people that are in the same location for an extended period of time.

It would be interesting if someone at Facebook could provide some insight into this.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#117

Post by madmax96 »

capitalsigma wrote: post #31
tlrobinson wrote: post #3

“That is kind of weird,” she laughed. “I’m still not so sure this isn’t just coincidence. I don’t think Facebook is really listening to our conversations.” This is a terrible article. There's an easy way to figure out if it's a coincidence... repeat the experiment.

99% sure this is not a coincidence, here's my theory: people's IRL conversations can be pretty reliably predicted by their Facebook conversations, so targeted ads based on messages tend to be surprisingly relevant to the next thing they talk about IRL. Example: my girlfriend was given a box of Flonase by her parents and immediately got a Facebook ad for it. She had not mentioned Flonase anywhere on Facebook ever. Spo…

This seems like a plausible alternative explanation.

An experiment could easily be ran where a new Facebook account is created without any posts or messages, and the Facebook App is installed on a mobile device. Spend a few days using language that is easy to advertise to in proximity of the device, and see what happens.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#118

Post by michael_h »

chris_wot wrote: post #69
HappyTypist wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. I work for Facebook. This doesn't happen.

I've been looking for this online statement they say was made by Facebook: “We 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.” I can't find it anywhere on Facebook's site. I don't believe it exists, or if it exists it was expunged some time ago. I'd like to know from which website ABC News 10 has located this information!

google-fu: https://www.facebook.com/help/iphone-app/369513256545845

"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."

So, not as bad as the news article suggests, but still extremely creepy.

Re: Is Facebook eavesdropping on phone conversations?

#119

Post by egb »

I had this happen to me a while back and came up with a fairly simple possible explanation/implementation. Facebook could look at the time and geo stamps in uploaded photos to determine who was in the same place at the same time, and offer those people up as potential friends to add.
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